Lac du Gros Elan in Mauricie: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Set in Mauricie, Quebec, this is Lac du Gros Elan. It lies 442 metres above sea level. At some 1.08 sq km it is far too large to cover on foot in a day. There is roughly 8.0 km of bank, more than one visit can cover properly. It is among the larger waters listed here for Mauricie. 40 km away sits La Tuque, the nearest town. Sainte-Thècle lies 70 km off, Laurentides another 70 km. The nearest boundary is a fair way off.

• Where to Fish on Lac du Gros Elan

  Depth remains unrecorded, so treat the first session as a survey. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. Records held for Mauricie cover northern pike, brook trout and walleye. These are county-wide records, so not all of them will be in this water. At Lac du Gros Elan the water rewards a slow, careful approach.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Long-run averages give July about 17°C and January about -16°C. A solid cap is the normal state through winter. Break-up comes around early May, and the run that follows is short and strong. Open water usually runs from early May until about mid November. The weeks after the thaw and the ones before the freeze are the strongest. It holds true on Lac du Gros Elan more years than not.

• Tackle & Baits

  The access position is unclear from public sources. It formed naturally, so levels move with rainfall rather than with a gate. No made access appears within a short radius, so plan to park on a verge and walk. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. Check locally before you travel, because a wasted drive is a long one. Check whether bait restrictions apply before you buy any. Failing this one, try Lac Detache, 0.8 km away. Where Lac du Gros Elan is concerned, a local answer beats a written one.