Lac des Vases Fishing in Outaouais, Quebec

• Overview

  Outaouais, Quebec, is where Lac des Vases sits. Lake country bush runs right down to the water. Surface area is around 98 hectares, which gives you real water without needing a boat. Some 7.3 km of bank gives room to move when the wind turns. On our Outaouais list it sits near the top for size. Deep River sits 39 km from the bank. Chalk River is 48 km away, with Petawawa at 64 km. No border sits close enough to matter.

• Where to Fish on Lac des Vases

  Depth went unrecorded, which puts the reading back on you. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. Public occurrence data for Outaouais names pumpkinseed, yellow perch, smallmouth bass, rainbow smelt and Iowa darter. These are county-wide records, so not all of them will be in this water. At Lac des Vases the first feature you find is worth twenty minutes.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Long-run averages give July about 18°C and January about -14°C. Winter closes the water for a while, and the reopening is worth catching. Expect a solid lid for months and a thaw around late April. The lid tends to go about late April and return around late November. The shoulder weeks of the open season are the productive ones. Lac des Vases fishes to that pattern most years.

• Tackle & Baits

  There is no clear statement anywhere on who can fish it. This is a natural basin, not a dammed one. Access is unmapped, which usually means a farm track and a walk. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. Ask in the nearest town if you are unsure. Some ground is open by custom rather than by right, so tread carefully. For a change of water, Lac Drejer is 0.7 km distant. For Lac des Vases, the notice at the access point is the final word.