Lac Guillary in Outaouais: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Within Outaouais, Quebec, you have Lac Guillary. It stands 273 metres above sea level. Roughly 40 hectares: a morning covers one end, an afternoon the other. At about 5.6 km of edge, most people work one arm at a time. Size puts it in the front rank of our Outaouais list. Deep River is the closest place, 64 km off. The nearest city of size is Gatineau, 144 km away. This one is safely inside the county line.

• Where to Fish on Lac Guillary

  Depth is not on record here, so the bank has to tell you. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. Records held for Outaouais cover pumpkinseed, yellow perch, smallmouth bass and rainbow smelt. The county figures include rivers and lakes alike. At Lac Guillary light and wind decide more than tackle does.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Seasonal averages run from -15°C in January up to 18°C in July. A full turn of seasons, with the strongest sport on either side of summer. The open season starts with the thaw, near enough late April. Open water usually runs from late April until about late November. The first weeks of open water and the last are the ones to plan for. Lac Guillary fishes to that pattern most years.

• Tackle & Baits

  Ownership and access are not documented in what we hold. It formed naturally, so levels move with rainfall rather than with a gate. Mapping is blank for access, so scout the approach before committing the car. Bass water: a Texas-rigged worm near cover, a spinnerbait when you need to cover ground. Where a permit is needed, the nearest town usually sells it. Barbless rules turn up on managed water more often than not. Lac Robillard, 2.5 km away, makes the obvious fallback. Check the position on Lac Guillary before loading the car.