Lac Ernie in Mauricie: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Lac Ernie lies within the bounds of Mauricie, Quebec. Country round the bank runs to spruce and muskeg. It covers about 6 hectares, so this is small water you can walk round in under an hour. Supplies mean a trip to Weymontachie, 12 km off. Beyond it, Leblanc at 58 km and La Tuque at 92 km. Close by you have: Lac Gloria (1.4 km), Lac Bert a touch under 2.1 km, Lac Johnny (2.2 km), Lac Pat a touch under 2.4 km and Lac Mike (2.9 km). This one is safely inside the county line.

• Where to Fish on Lac Ernie

  No chart reached our records; the first cast is your sounding. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. Survey and observation records for Mauricie include northern pike, brook trout and walleye. County data is a starting point rather than a guarantee. Treat Lac Ernie as a water to read rather than to cover.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Expect July near 17°C and January near -17°C on the long-run figures. Little of the calendar is open water, so timing counts for everything. Look for the thaw near early May; the fishing lifts straight after. The season between ice runs from about early May to mid November. Right after break-up, and again as the nights sharpen, is when to go. On Lac Ernie the same rules apply, with local timing.

• Tackle & Baits

  No access rule appears in what we hold. Nothing in the way of made access shows up nearby: no ramp, no car park, no path. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. Season dates differ by species, so read the table. Some stretches are reserved and marked as such on the ground. Should this one be busy, Lac Gloria is 1.4 km off. Check the position on Lac Ernie before loading the car.