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

• Overview

  Lac du Pinson stands in Mauricie, Quebec. It sits at 449 metres above sea level. It covers about 7 hectares, so this is small water you can walk round in under an hour. La Tuque lies 57 km from the water. Further out sit Saint-Michel-des-Saints (64 km) and Sainte-Thècle (70 km). Others worth noting: Lac Dorval 1 km away, 1.2 km out stands Lac Fort, Lac du Milouin 1.4 km away, 1.9 km out stands Lac Ethel and Lac du Garrot 2.3 km away. The nearest boundary is well away, so one set of rules covers the water.

• Where to Fish on Lac du Pinson

  Our records hold no depth for this water. This is a lake, so the margins and the first drop matter most. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. Fish documented in Mauricie include northern pike, brook trout, walleye and yellow perch. What holds for the county may not hold for this water. Lac du Pinson gives up more to patience than to distance.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Between January at about -16°C and July at about 17°C, the water has a wide range to work through. The season turns properly here, and fish follow it closely. The lid usually sets by midwinter and gives way around late April. Ice usually gives way near late April, and forms again about late November. Look to early summer and the first cool weeks of autumn. Plan around that when you fish Lac du Pinson.

• Tackle & Baits

  We hold no note on access for this one. Access is unmapped, which usually means a farm track and a walk. Bass water: a Texas-rigged worm near cover, a spinnerbait when you need to cover ground. Read any posted signs at the access point rather than assuming. A polite question at the farm gate opens more banks than anything else. The nearest alternative is Lac Dorval, 1 km out. Where Lac du Pinson is concerned, a local answer beats a written one.