Lac Fernand in Mauricie: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Lac Fernand is listed under Mauricie, Quebec. Everything around it is spruce and muskeg. The closest town, Weymontachie, is 25 km away. The big place round here is Saguenay, 185 km distant. Also worth knowing: Lac Fraser a touch under 1.3 km, Lac Fogh 1.9 km, Lac Pierre a touch under 2.4 km, Lac Fern 2.5 km and Lac Mervie a touch under 2.7 km. The nearest boundary is well away, so one set of rules covers the water.

• Where to Fish on Lac Fernand

  No depth figure has reached our records, which makes a plummet useful. This is a lake, so the margins and the first drop matter most. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. Survey and observation records for Mauricie include northern pike, brook trout and walleye. What holds for the county may not hold for this water. At Lac Fernand the water rewards a slow, careful approach.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The range across the year is -17°C to 16°C. Water stays cold even at the height of the year. Ice-out usually falls in early May, and the weeks after it fish hardest. On the long-run averages the water opens up around early May and starts locking again about mid November. June through September is the settled part of the year, with the shoulders busier for fish. Keep it in mind when planning a trip to Lac Fernand.

• Tackle & Baits

  Public sources are silent on who controls the bank. We find no slipway, car park or made path within a short radius, so treat access as rough. Largemouth respond to soft plastics tight to cover; go weedless where the growth is heavy. Gates get locked out of season on water like this. Signs go up and come down, so check on the day. For a change of water, Lac Fraser is 1.3 km distant. Treat Lac Fernand as unsettled until someone local tells you otherwise.