Lac Foster in Outaouais: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Lac Foster is one of the Outaouais waters in Quebec. The bank is 391 metres above sea level. A splashy cast here empties the swim; a quiet one owns it. It is a small entry by Outaouais standards. 44 km away sits Deep River, the nearest town. Further out sit Chalk River (53 km) and Petawawa (68 km). Neighbouring water: Lac Forskal just 0.5 km, Lac Fischer (0.9 km), Lac Charette just 1.2 km, Lac Forbes (2 km) and Lac de l'Isle-Dieu just 2.5 km. This one is safely inside the county line.

• Where to Fish on Lac Foster

  There is no published depth for this one, so start shallow and work out. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. County-wide records name pumpkinseed, yellow perch, smallmouth bass and rainbow smelt. Those are county-wide records, so not every one of them will be in this water. Lac Foster gives up more to patience than to distance.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Averages move between -14°C in January and 18°C in July. The middle months are generous; the ends are demanding. The lid usually goes in late April, which opens the strongest weeks of the year. Averages place the thaw at late April and the freeze at late November. Fishing peaks soon after break-up and again before the cold returns. It holds true on Lac Foster more years than not.

• Tackle & Baits

  The rules here are undocumented as far as public sources go. Nothing in the way of made access shows up nearby: no ramp, no car park, no path. Bass water: a Texas-rigged worm near cover, a spinnerbait when you need to cover ground. Sort the permit out before you load the car. Keep proof of licence with you rather than in the car. Lac Forskal, 0.5 km away, makes the obvious fallback. Rules at Lac Foster are worth checking on the day.