Lac Gerard Fishing in Mauricie, Quebec

• Overview

  This water sits in Mauricie, Quebec. It lies 398 metres above sea level. Around 45 hectares of surface means several distinct areas to work. Around 6.4 km of bank, which is a long day on foot. On our Mauricie list it sits near the top for size. The nearest town is Métabetchouan, 59 km away. The big place round here is Saguenay, 121 km distant. This one is safely inside the county line.

• Where to Fish on Lac Gerard

  We hold no survey for this water; read the slope of the shoreline instead. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. Survey and observation records for Mauricie include northern pike, brook trout, walleye and yellow perch. Those are county-wide records, so not every one of them will be in this water. On Lac Gerard a short move beats a long cast.

• Seasonal Patterns

  July is the warm end of the year here, averaging about 17°C, while January sits near -16°C. The freeze holds for the better part of the year. Hard cover is dependable here; it goes around early May. In an average year the thaw lands around early May and the freeze near mid November. Fishing peaks soon after break-up and again before the cold returns. It holds true on Lac Gerard more years than not.

• Tackle & Baits

  We have no record of the rules that apply on this bank. This is a natural basin, not a dammed one. Formal access is not mapped, so the last stretch is likely on foot. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. Take the rules with you rather than trusting memory. Where tickets apply, they are sold in the nearest town rather than on the bank. If the gate is shut, Lac Bicolore at 1 km is the nearest alternative. None of that is settled for Lac Gerard in what we hold.