Fishing Lac Irene in Capitale-Nationale, Quebec

• Overview

  Out in Capitale-Nationale, Quebec, sits Lac Irene. It stands 522 metres above sea level. It runs to roughly 11 hectares — big enough to hold fish away from the bank, small enough to learn. About 1.7 km of bank, so nothing stays unexplored for long. By elevation it is in the upper part of our Quebec listings. Laurentides is the closest place, 24 km off. Then Saint-Raymond, 40 km, and Fossambault-sur-le-Lac, 49 km. It sits well inside the county, so one set of rules covers it.

• Where to Fish on Lac Irene

  There is no published depth for this one, so start shallow and work out. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. Bays and points beat straight shoreline every time on water like this. Across Capitale-Nationale, recorded fish include 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. Fish Lac Irene where the bottom changes rather than where it looks deep.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Temperature averages peak at 17°C in July and bottom out at -16°C in January. The freeze holds for the better part of the year. After early May the shallows warm and the fish move up. Climate figures give an open season running early May to mid November. Fishing peaks soon after break-up and again before the cold returns. Keep it in mind when planning a trip to Lac Irene.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether the bank is open is not something our records settle. Records list it as a natural water body rather than an impoundment. No built facilities appear in mapping around this water. Walleye come to jigs worked slow near bottom, and to trolled crankbaits along the drops at dusk. A phone call first saves an afternoon. Barbless rules turn up on managed water more often than not. Lac Martel sits 0.9 km off and takes the overflow. Where Lac Irene is concerned, a local answer beats a written one.