Lac Fabi in Mauricie: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Lac Fabi is a Mauricie water, in Quebec. The country round it is rolling bush from end to end. At about 10 hectares, a day is enough to walk the shoreline properly. About 1.5 km of bank, so nothing stays unexplored for long. Start from La Tuque, 8.9 km down the road. For a city, Trois-Rivières is 117 km off. The nearest boundary is well away, so one set of rules covers the water.

• Where to Fish on Lac Fabi

  Depth here is unknown, so count the lead down before committing. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. Records held for Mauricie cover northern pike, brook trout and walleye. The county list is broader than any single water. Work Lac Fabi in sections rather than trying to cover it.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The warmest month averages 18°C, the coldest about -16°C. A hard winter is normal, and the thaw brings a strong few weeks. Ice fishing carries the winter, and the water opens about late April. Ice usually gives way near late April, and forms again about late November. From the thaw to midsummer the fishing improves week by week. It holds true on Lac Fabi more years than not.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing on record says whether the bank is open or closed. This is a natural basin, not a dammed one. Parking sits 990 m out, which makes for a walk with tackle. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. Provincial rules still apply whatever the bank status. Night access is frequently treated as a separate matter. For a change of water, Lac Trout is 1.6 km distant. The position on Lac Fabi is worth confirming on the day.