Lac Desrochers Fishing Guide, Mauricie, Quebec

• Overview

  The Mauricie end of Quebec holds Lac Desrochers. Height above sea level is 342 metres. With some 54 hectares of water, there is room for a boat but no need of one. With 7.3 km or so of shoreline, boat anglers cover ground the bank cannot. On our Mauricie list it sits near the top for size. Laurentides sits 20 km from here and is the nearest stop. The big place round here is Trois-Rivières, 101 km distant. The county line is nowhere near, so one local authority covers the water.

• Where to Fish on Lac Desrochers

  No chart reached our records; the first cast is your sounding. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. Fish documented in Mauricie include northern pike, brook trout, walleye, yellow perch and white sucker. Read it as a county summary, not a water-by-water list. On Lac Desrochers the first feature you find is usually worth a session.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Between January at about -16°C and July at about 17°C, the water has a wide range to work through. Seasons are distinct, and each one fishes differently. The lid usually sets by midwinter and gives way around late April. The water is typically free of ice between late April and late November. May into June fishes hardest, and September gives a second good stretch before the lid returns. It holds true on Lac Desrochers more years than not.

• Tackle & Baits

  No access rule appears in what we hold. This is a natural basin, not a dammed one. Anglers use Maskinongé, 40 m from this water. Bass water: a Texas-rigged worm near cover, a spinnerbait when you need to cover ground. Where access is informal, keep it that way by behaving. Check whether bait restrictions apply before you buy any. If the gate is shut, Lac Aumond at 0.4 km is the nearest alternative. Treat access at Lac Desrochers as something to verify.