Fishing at Lac des Souris, Mauricie, Quebec

• Overview

  Look for Lac des Souris in the Mauricie part of Quebec. It sits in lake country bush country. At some 2.12 sq km it is far too large to cover on foot in a day. With 18 km or so of shoreline, boat anglers cover ground the bank cannot. Size puts it in the front rank of our Mauricie list. Saint-Élie-de-Caxton at 11 km is the nearest place to stop. Beyond it, Shawinigan at 19 km and Hérouxville at 30 km. It sits well inside its county, with no border complications.

• Where to Fish on Lac des Souris

  We hold no depth figure for this one. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. Survey and observation records for Mauricie include northern pike, brook trout and walleye. Read it as a county summary, not a water-by-water list. Take Lac des Souris a stretch at a time.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The range across the year is -14°C to 19°C. Cold locks it up for a good stretch each year. The lid usually goes in late April, which opens the strongest weeks of the year. The season between ice runs from about late April to late November. The first weeks of open water and the last are the ones to plan for. Time your trip to Lac des Souris by conditions rather than dates.

• Tackle & Baits

  There is no clear statement anywhere on who can fish it. No dam controls it, and the level follows the season. Public data shows nothing built here, so treat the whole approach as informal. Provincial rules still apply whatever the bank status. Check whether bait restrictions apply before you buy any. If the gate is shut, Lac du Canard at 1.9 km is the nearest alternative. Check the position on Lac des Souris before loading the car.