Fishing at Lac Francois, Mauricie, Quebec

• Overview

  Quebec holds Lac Francois, in Mauricie. The surface lies 313 metres up. The water covers some 22 hectares, so pick a bank rather than trying to cover it all. The full circuit measures close to 2.0 km on foot. La Tuque sits 42 km from the bank. Trois-Rivières sits 147 km out, and it is the nearest city worth the name. It lies deep inside the county rather than near an edge.

• Where to Fish on Lac Francois

  Depth is not on record here, which means reading the ground instead. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. Bays and points beat straight shoreline every time on water like this. Survey and observation records for Mauricie include northern pike, brook trout, walleye, yellow perch and white sucker. Take it as the county picture rather than a promise for this water. Lac Francois responds to conditions more than to tactics.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Between January at about -16°C and July at about 17°C, the water has a wide range to work through. A solid cap is the normal state through winter. Hard water holds through the cold months, breaking up near late April. In an average year the thaw lands around late April and the freeze near late November. May into June fishes hardest, and September gives a second good stretch before the lid returns. Plan around that when you fish Lac Francois.

• Tackle & Baits

  We hold no note on access for this one. It formed naturally, so levels move with rainfall rather than with a gate. Access points are not mapped for this water, which suits people who like quiet. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. A phone call first saves an afternoon. Where parking is tight, arriving early solves most problems. The nearest alternative is Lac Eric, 0.6 km out. The position on Lac Francois is worth confirming on the day.