Lac Gervais, Quebec: Fishing Spots and Seasons

• Overview

  Lac Gervais lies in Capitale-Nationale, in Quebec. The ground around here is spruce and muskeg. Small at around 9 hectares: two anglers spread out cover most of it. Compared with other Quebec water on our list, it sits high. Nearest town is Laurentides, 18 km off. It is 72 km to Sainte-Foy, the nearest city. It sits well inside the county, so one set of rules covers it.

• Where to Fish on Lac Gervais

  No chart reached our records; the first cast is your sounding. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. Public occurrence data for Capitale-Nationale names lake sturgeon, Atlantic sturgeon, longnose sucker, sauger and channel catfish. Some of the species recorded here are protected or tightly regulated, so check what may be targeted before you fish. The shape of Lac Gervais decides where the fish sit.

• Seasonal Patterns

  In an average year July sits at 17°C and January at -16°C. The fishing year opens late and shuts early. Ice-out usually falls in early May, and the weeks after it fish hardest. Averages suggest open water from about early May through to roughly mid November. Look to early summer and the first cool weeks of autumn. Plan around that when you fish Lac Gervais.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether the bank is open is not something our records settle. Omble de fontaine is the mapped fishing point, 30 m out. Walleye come to jigs worked slow near bottom, and to trolled crankbaits along the drops at dusk. Rules differ from one water to the next round here. Keep proof of licence with you rather than in the car. Petit lac Gagnon at 1 km is the sensible second choice. For Lac Gervais in particular, ask before you travel.