Lac Gertrude in Mauricie: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  The Mauricie end of Quebec holds Lac Gertrude. The water sits 408 metres up. About 5 hectares of surface, which puts the far bank inside easy sight. 49 km away sits Métabetchouan, the nearest town. Further out sit Chambord (55 km) and Desbiens (56 km). Other water nearby: Lac du Detour a shade over 0.9 km, Lac Louis 0.9 km away, Lac du Berger a shade over 1.1 km, Lac Francis 1.4 km away and Lac du Goudron a shade over 3.1 km. It lies deep inside the county rather than near an edge.

• Where to Fish on Lac Gertrude

  Without a survey to go on, judge depth from how the bank falls away. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. Survey and observation records for Mauricie include northern pike, brook trout, walleye, yellow perch and white sucker. Read it as a county summary, not a water-by-water list. The shape of Lac Gertrude rewards a slow walk along one bank.

• Seasonal Patterns

  On the long-term average, July reads 16°C and January reads -16°C. The ice season is long here and the open one short. Hard cover is dependable here; it goes around early May. The season between ice runs from about early May to mid November. From the thaw to midsummer the fishing improves week by week. That shapes the year on Lac Gertrude.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether you may fish here is not something records settle. 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. Rules for this water may differ from the county norm. Where the way in crosses private ground, ask first. The nearest alternative is Lac du Detour, 0.9 km out. Check the position at Lac Gertrude before loading the car.