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

• Overview

  The Mauricie end of Quebec holds Lac du Soulagement. This is boreal forest ground. At about 80 hectares, a day is enough to walk the shoreline properly. Shoreline length is close to 11 km, and each section fishes a little differently. On our Mauricie list it sits near the top for size. Weymontachie sits 37 km from here and is the nearest stop. The big place round here is Saguenay, 194 km distant. The county line is nowhere near, so one local authority covers the water.

• Where to Fish on Lac du Soulagement

  No depth figure appears in our records, so the bank has to tell you. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. Mauricie records list northern pike, brook trout, walleye, yellow perch and white sucker among the fish reported. Species recorded across the county may be limited to a few waters. At Lac du Soulagement the water rewards a slow, careful approach.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Long-run averages give July about 16°C and January about -17°C. This far north the hard season runs and runs. Ice fishing carries the winter, and the water opens about early May. Averages suggest open water from about early May through to roughly mid November. June through September is the settled part of the year, with the shoulders busier for fish. Plan around that when you fish Lac du Soulagement.

• Tackle & Baits

  Our records carry no access rule either way. Records list it as a natural water body rather than an impoundment. Nothing is mapped in the way of a ramp or car park within a short radius. Largemouth respond to soft plastics tight to cover; go weedless where the growth is heavy. Where the road in crosses private land, ask first. Signs go up and come down, so check on the day. Lac du Lynx at 1 km is the sensible second choice. Rules at Lac du Soulagement are worth checking on the day.