Fishing at Lac Giel, Mauricie, Quebec

• Overview

  This water sits in Mauricie, Quebec. The setting is northern bush on every side. Small enough that any disturbance crosses the whole surface. It is a small entry by Mauricie standards. Leblanc at 61 km is the nearest place to stop. Weymontachie lies 108 km off, Chapais another 116 km. Not far off: Lac Saint-Jore at about 0.6 km, Lac Tourmente 0.7 km off, Lac du Coton at about 1.1 km, Lac Loubert 1.5 km off and Lac Laas at about 2 km. The nearest boundary is a fair way off.

• Where to Fish on Lac Giel

  No figure exists for depth, so let the water show you. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. Across Mauricie, recorded fish include northern pike, brook trout and walleye. County records show the wider picture rather than this one place. Anyone new to Lac Giel should walk it once before setting up.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The seasonal spread runs -18°C to 16°C. This far north the hard season runs and runs. The open season starts with the thaw, near enough early May. Break-up sits around early May on average, with the water closing again about mid November. May into June fishes hardest, and September gives a second good stretch before the lid returns. That shapes the year on Lac Giel.

• Tackle & Baits

  We hold no note on access for this one. No made access is recorded, so a short walk in is the likely arrangement. Largemouth respond to soft plastics tight to cover; go weedless where the growth is heavy. Sort the permit out before you load the car. Where parking is tight, arriving early solves most problems. For a change of water, Lac Saint-Jore is 0.6 km distant. Ask locally about Lac Giel if anything is unclear.