Lac Gelinas in Mauricie: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Lac Gelinas is a Mauricie water, in Quebec. It sits in rolling bush country. Some 27 km away sits Saint-Élie-de-Caxton, the nearest settlement. Trois-Rivières sits 60 km out, and it is the nearest city worth the name. Water in the same corner: Lac Hector 0.7 km away, Lac Brodeur within 1 km, Lac du Cresson 1.1 km away, Lac Bellemare within 1.1 km and Lac Girard 1.5 km away. The nearest edge is a long way off, so local rules apply throughout.

• Where to Fish on Lac Gelinas

  Depth remains unrecorded, so treat the first session as a survey. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. County-wide records name northern pike, brook trout, walleye, yellow perch and white sucker. These are county-wide records, so not all of them will be in this water. Read Lac Gelinas before you fish it and the day goes better.

• Seasonal Patterns

  July is the warm end of the year here, averaging about 18°C, while January sits near -15°C. Seasons are distinct, and each one fishes differently. The freeze runs deep into the year, with break-up near late April. From about late April to around late November, expect open water on the long-run figures. The weeks after the thaw and the ones before the freeze are the strongest. Anyone fishing Lac Gelinas regularly works to that calendar.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing in our records says who may fish here. Nothing is mapped in the way of a ramp or car park within a short radius. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. Check whether a boat is allowed before you tow one. Keep proof of licence with you rather than in the car. Should this one be busy, Lac Hector is 0.7 km off. Treat access at Lac Gelinas as something to verify.