Fishing at Lac Hickey, Outaouais, Quebec

• Overview

  Lac Hickey is one of the Outaouais waters in Quebec. Around the bank it is pine and birch. This is a pocket water of some 6 hectares, and every part of it is reachable from the bank. The nearest town is Wakefield, 23 km away. The big place round here is Gatineau, 44 km distant. It sits well inside its county, with no border complications.

• Where to Fish on Lac Hickey

  Depth figures are not published for this one. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. Records held for Outaouais cover pumpkinseed, yellow perch, smallmouth bass, rainbow smelt and Iowa darter. The county list is broader than any single water. Read Lac Hickey for ten minutes before the first cast goes out.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Average temperature peaks around 19°C in July and bottoms out near -13°C in January. The year splits cleanly: hard water, then open water. After late April the shallows warm and the fish move up. Ice usually gives way near late April, and forms again about early December. Late spring and early autumn carry the year between them. Plan any trip to Lac Hickey around it.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether the bank is open is not something our records settle. We find no slipway, car park or made path within a short radius, so treat access as rough. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. Take the rules with you rather than trusting memory. Access can change hands, so last year's answer may not hold. Lac Craig sits 1.8 km off and takes the overflow. For Lac Hickey in particular, ask before you travel.