Fishing at Lac Fillion, Mauricie, Quebec

• Overview

  The Mauricie end of Quebec holds Lac Fillion. The water sits 406 metres up. At about 11 hectares, a day is enough to walk the shoreline properly. The edge runs 3.0 km or so, easy to work in an afternoon. The closest town, Leblanc, is 107 km distant. Further out sit Manawan (114 km) and Ferme-Neuve (125 km). Within a short run: Lac Meezi 0.6 km off, Lac Mob 1 km away, Lac Adar 1.3 km off, Lac Araca 1.7 km away and Lac Juan 1.8 km off. It lies deep inside the county rather than near an edge.

• Where to Fish on Lac Fillion

  We hold no depth figure for this one. 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. Mauricie records list northern pike, brook trout, walleye, yellow perch and white sucker among the fish reported. The county figures include rivers and lakes alike. At Lac Fillion the water rewards a slow, careful approach.

• Seasonal Patterns

  On the long-term average, July reads 16°C and January reads -17°C. Open water arrives late and leaves early, which concentrates the fishing. Ice is part of the season here, ending near early May. Break-up sits around early May on average, with the water closing again about mid November. May into June fishes hardest, and September gives a second good stretch before the lid returns. Anyone fishing Lac Fillion regularly works to that calendar.

• Tackle & Baits

  The paperwork position is blank for this one. No dam controls it, and the level follows the season. Access is unmapped, which usually means a farm track and a walk. Bass water: a Texas-rigged worm near cover, a spinnerbait when you need to cover ground. Read any posted signs at the access point rather than assuming. Where parking is tight, arriving early solves most problems. Should this one be busy, Lac Meezi is 0.6 km off. For Lac Fillion, the notice at the access point is the final word.