Lac Katou Fishing in Mauricie, Quebec

• Overview

  Lac Katou is one of the Mauricie waters in Quebec. The bank gives way to mixed forest. At about 14 hectares, a day is enough to walk the shoreline properly. You are 52 km from Saint-Michel-des-Saints. Saint-Élie-de-Caxton follows at 58 km, then Shawinigan at 61 km. Alternatives close at hand: Lac Lefevre at about 0.4 km, Lac Lafleur out at 1.5 km, Lac Lu at about 1.8 km, Lac Ray out at 2.1 km and Lac Siffleux at about 2.2 km. The county line is nowhere near, so one local authority covers the water.

• Where to Fish on Lac Katou

  Depth remains unrecorded, so treat the first session as a survey. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. County-wide records name northern pike, brook trout and walleye. What holds for the county may not hold for this water. On Lac Katou the quiet end is the one worth the extra effort.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Temperature averages peak at 17°C in July and bottom out at -15°C in January. A hard winter is normal, and the thaw brings a strong few weeks. The lid usually goes in late April, which opens the strongest weeks of the year. Break-up sits around late April on average, with the water closing again about late November. Right after break-up, and again as the nights sharpen, is when to go. The season on Lac Katou follows the weather closely.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing on record says whether the bank is open or closed. We find no slipway, car park or made path within a short radius, so treat access as rough. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. Some banks are open only from a marked point. Access can change hands, so last year's answer may not hold. The nearest alternative is Lac Lefevre, 0.4 km out. For Lac Katou, the notice at the access point is the final word.