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

• Overview

  In Quebec, Lac du Merle falls inside Mauricie. Land around it is spruce and muskeg. You can fish the entire water from one spot if you pick it well. Most waters listed here for Mauricie are larger. 58 km away sits La Tuque, the nearest town. Laurentides lies 65 km off, Métabetchouan another 74 km. More in the same country: Lac Edgar at 0.6 km, Lac Pierre lies 1.2 km on, Lac Hall at 1.8 km, Lac Witherbee lies 2.2 km on and Lac Boily at 2.6 km. There is no boundary nearby to worry about.

• Where to Fish on Lac du Merle

  No depth figure appears in our records, so the bank has to tell you. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. Survey and observation records for Mauricie include northern pike, brook trout, walleye and yellow perch. Records at county level tell you what is around, not what is stocked here. At Lac du Merle light and wind decide more than tackle does.

• Seasonal Patterns

  July runs about 17°C on average, January about -16°C. This far north the hard season runs and runs. Firm cover through the cold months, then open water from early May. In an average year the thaw lands around early May and the freeze near mid November. Fish feed hardest at the start and the close of the open season. On Lac du Merle the same rules apply, with local timing.

• Tackle & Baits

  We have no record of the rules that apply on this bank. There is a slipway on the shore, 1.2 km from the water we list. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. Take the rules with you rather than trusting memory. Some ground is open by custom rather than by right, so tread carefully. For a change of water, Lac Edgar is 0.6 km distant. Nothing here settles the position at Lac du Merle for certain.