Fishing Lac Gambe in Outaouais, Quebec

• Overview

  Lac Gambe is an Outaouais water, in Quebec. The bank is 255 metres above sea level. It covers about 8 hectares, so this is small water you can walk round in under an hour. Nearest town is Saint-Boniface, 37 km off. Then Maniwaki, 50 km, and Ferme-Neuve, 53 km. Within a short drive: Lac Ross lies 0.8 km on, Lac de la Boule some 0.9 km off, Lac Faufil lies 1.1 km on, Lac Cassaber some 1.3 km off and Lac Latte lies 1.7 km on. The nearest boundary is a fair way off.

• Where to Fish on Lac Gambe

  There is no published depth for this one, so start shallow and work out. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. Outaouais records list pumpkinseed, yellow perch, smallmouth bass, rainbow smelt and Iowa darter among the fish reported. What holds for the county may not hold for this water. Take Lac Gambe a stretch at a time.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Seasonal averages run from -15°C in January up to 18°C in July. Spring and autumn carry the fishing; summer and winter test it. The lid usually sets by midwinter and gives way around late April. Open water usually runs from late April until about late November. Right after break-up, and again as the nights sharpen, is when to go. On Lac Gambe the same rules apply, with local timing.

• Tackle & Baits

  There is no clear statement anywhere on who can fish it. No made access appears within a short radius, so plan to park on a verge and walk. Largemouth respond to soft plastics tight to cover; go weedless where the growth is heavy. A phone call first saves an afternoon. Keep proof of licence with you rather than in the car. The nearest alternative is Lac Ross, 0.8 km out. Where Lac Gambe is concerned, a local answer beats a written one.