Lac Lacroix near Saint-Raphaël: Fishing Spots, Seasons and Access

• Overview

  Look for Lac Lacroix in the Outaouais part of Quebec. Elevation runs to 206 metres. It measures some 1.12 sq km, and wind has room to build across it. It is among the larger waters listed here for Outaouais. Start from Saint-Raphaël, 15 km down the road. Gatineau sits 90 km out, and it is the nearest city worth the name. This one is safely inside the county line.

• Where to Fish on Lac Lacroix

  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. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. Records held for Outaouais cover pumpkinseed, yellow perch and smallmouth bass. These are county-wide records, so not all of them will be in this water. Lac Lacroix fishes better once you know its edges.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Climate normals give 19°C for July and -14°C for January. Four clear seasons, with a proper winter at one end. Break-up comes around late April, and the run that follows is short and strong. Break-up near late April, freeze-up near late November: that is the shape of an average year. May into June fishes hardest, and September gives a second good stretch before the lid returns. Time your trip to Lac Lacroix by conditions rather than dates.

• Tackle & Baits

  Public data does not answer the access question here. No car park, ramp or path is recorded within easy reach of the shore. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. Check whether a boat is allowed before you tow one. Signs go up and come down, so check on the day. If the gate is shut, Petit lac de l'Aigle at 0.7 km is the nearest alternative. Where Lac Lacroix is concerned, a local answer beats a written one.