Lac Lockhart in Mauricie: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Mauricie, Quebec, is where Lac Lockhart sits. The bank is 320 metres above sea level. With some 22 hectares of water, there is room for a boat but no need of one. You are looking at roughly 5.0 km of shoreline, with plenty of water between access points. For supplies, La Tuque is 18 km out. Laurentides is 37 km and Sainte-Thècle 67 km. The county line is nowhere near, so one local authority covers the water.

• Where to Fish on Lac Lockhart

  Depth here is unknown, so count the lead down before committing. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. Open biodiversity records for Mauricie list northern pike, brook trout, walleye and yellow perch. What holds for the county may not hold for this water. On Lac Lockhart the obvious spot is not always the productive one.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The warmest month averages 17°C, the coldest about -16°C. Winter closes the water for a while, and the reopening is worth catching. Firm cover through the cold months, then open water from late April. The open-water window runs from around late April to about late November in an average year. From the thaw to midsummer the fishing improves week by week. That is the shape of the year on Lac Lockhart.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing we hold confirms whether access is permitted. This is a natural basin, not a dammed one. Access points are not mapped for this water, which suits people who like quiet. Largemouth respond to soft plastics tight to cover; go weedless where the growth is heavy. Rules differ from one water to the next round here. Where tickets apply, they are sold in the nearest town rather than on the bank. Lac Georges sits 1.2 km off and takes the overflow. Rules at Lac Lockhart are worth checking on the day.