Lac du Cerf in Capitale-Nationale: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  The Capitale-Nationale end of Quebec holds Lac du Cerf. The water sits 332 metres up. The far bank is a conversation away, so keep low and quiet. Most waters listed here for Capitale-Nationale are larger. Start from Laurentides, 19 km down the road. After that come La Tuque at 34 km and Sainte-Thècle at 53 km. Not far off: Lac du Poste 0.5 km, Lac Bigaouette near enough 0.8 km, Lac du Hobby 0.9 km, Lac Loranger near enough 0.9 km and Lac Fred 1.3 km. There is no boundary nearby to worry about.

• Where to Fish on Lac du Cerf

  Depth is not on record here, so the bank has to tell you. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. Bays and points beat straight shoreline every time on water like this. Fish documented in Capitale-Nationale include lake sturgeon, Atlantic sturgeon, longnose sucker and sauger. Some of the species recorded here are protected or tightly regulated, so check what may be targeted before you fish. Anyone new to Lac du Cerf should walk it once before setting up.

• Seasonal Patterns

  July runs about 17°C on average, January about -15°C. The season turns properly here, and fish follow it closely. After late April the shallows warm and the fish move up. The water is typically free of ice between late April and late November. Late spring and early autumn carry the year between them. That is the shape of the year on Lac du Cerf.

• Tackle & Baits

  The paperwork position is blank for this one. Nothing is mapped in the way of a ramp or car park within a short radius. For walleye, a jig and minnow near the bottom is the standard; evenings beat middays. A phone call first saves an afternoon. Where the way in crosses private ground, ask first. For a change of water, Lac du Poste is 0.5 km distant. Where Lac du Cerf is concerned, a local answer beats a written one.