Lac Emeril, Quebec: Fishing Spots and Seasons

• Overview

  This water sits in Outaouais, Quebec. It stands 352 metres above sea level. Saint-Boniface is the closest town at 74 km. Gatineau sits 190 km out, and it is the nearest city worth the name. Not far off: Lac Psaume a shade over 0.3 km, Lac Nevele (0.6 km), Lac Ruage a shade over 0.8 km, Lac du Petit Castor (0.9 km) and Lac du Fanal a shade over 1 km. Rules here are straightforward: one set of provincial rules.

• Where to Fish on Lac Emeril

  Depth remains unrecorded, so treat the first session as a survey. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. Fish documented in Outaouais include pumpkinseed, yellow perch and smallmouth bass. Records at this level tell you what is in the area. Lac Emeril gives up its fish to patience rather than distance.

• Seasonal Patterns

  July runs about 17°C on average, January about -17°C. Expect a real winter and a strong spring after it. Count on hard cover from midwinter, and open water from late April. Break-up sits around late April on average, with the water closing again about late November. The open run goes from the thaw to the freeze, and April through October covers most of it. At Lac Emeril the season follows that pattern closely.

• Tackle & Baits

  The rules here are undocumented as far as public sources go. We find no slipway, car park or made path within a short radius, so treat access as rough. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. Check whether a boat is allowed before you tow one. Access can change hands, so last year's answer may not hold. Failing this one, try Lac Psaume, 0.3 km away. For Lac Emeril in particular, ask before you travel.