Fishing Lac Gillon in Capitale-Nationale, Quebec

• Overview

  Lac Gillon falls in Capitale-Nationale, part of Quebec. It lies 352 metres above sea level. It covers about 5 hectares, so this is small water you can walk round in under an hour. For supplies, Laurentides is 11 km out. For a city, Trois-Rivières is 93 km off. Neighbouring water: Troisieme lac Triplet 1 km away, Deuxieme lac Triplet 1.3 km off, Lac Crapet 1.5 km away, Premier lac Triplet 1.5 km off and Lac Perle 1.6 km away. This one is safely inside the county line.

• Where to Fish on Lac Gillon

  No depth figure has reached our records, which makes a plummet useful. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. Fish documented in Capitale-Nationale include lake sturgeon, Atlantic sturgeon and longnose sucker. Protected fish appear in the records for this area, so treat the list as information, not an invitation. On Lac Gillon the quiet end is the one worth the extra effort.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Expect July near 17°C and January near -15°C on the long-run figures. Winter closes the water for a while, and the reopening is worth catching. After late April the shallows warm and the fish move up. The water is typically free of ice between late April and late November. Reckon on open water from spring through to late autumn, with May and June the strongest. That is the shape of the year on Lac Gillon.

• Tackle & Baits

  The rules here are undocumented as far as public sources go. There is no mapped parking or launch nearby, which keeps numbers down. For walleye, a jig and minnow near the bottom is the standard; evenings beat middays. Take the rules with you rather than trusting memory. Signs go up and come down, so check on the day. If the gate is shut, Troisieme lac Triplet at 1 km is the nearest alternative. Nothing on Lac Gillon should be assumed from this page alone.