Lac du Caribou in Mauricie: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  You will find Lac du Caribou in Mauricie, Quebec. It stands 360 metres above sea level. About 6.08 sq km, so local knowledge or a boat saves a lot of walking. On our Mauricie list it sits near the top for size. Saint-Élie-de-Caxton sits 28 km from the bank. After that come Shawinigan at 31 km and Hérouxville at 36 km. Rules here are straightforward: one set of provincial rules.

• Where to Fish on Lac du Caribou

  No figure exists for depth, so let the water show you. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. Fish documented in Mauricie include northern pike, brook trout, walleye, yellow perch and white sucker. It is the county picture; the agency list is water-specific. On Lac du Caribou that means starting tight and working out.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Temperature averages peak at 18°C in July and bottom out at -15°C in January. Winter closes the water for a while, and the reopening is worth catching. Hard cover is dependable here; it goes around late April. In an average year the thaw lands around late April and the freeze near late November. Just after the ice goes and just before it returns, the fishing lifts. Expect Lac du Caribou to follow that timing.

• Tackle & Baits

  The access position is unclear from public sources. A campsite is mapped about 1.2 km away, which makes an early start easier. Bass water: a Texas-rigged worm near cover, a spinnerbait when you need to cover ground. Where a permit is needed, the nearest town usually sells it. A polite question at the farm gate opens more banks than anything else. For a change of water, Lac des Tourtes is 1.5 km distant. Where Lac du Caribou is concerned, a local answer beats a written one.