Lac Long Fishing near Saint-Michel-des-Saints, Quebec

• Overview

  You will find Lac Long in Mauricie, Quebec. The land about it is mixed forest. With some 42 hectares of water, there is room for a boat but no need of one. At about 5.3 km of edge, most people work one arm at a time. Size puts it in the front rank of our Mauricie list. Head to Saint-Michel-des-Saints, 60 km away, for anything you forgot. La Tuque lies 64 km off, Manawan another 68 km. It lies deep inside the county rather than near an edge.

• Where to Fish on Lac Long

  No figure exists for depth, so let the water show you. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. County-wide records name northern pike, brook trout, walleye and yellow perch. Records at county level tell you what is around, not what is stocked here. Treat Lac Long as a water to read rather than to cover.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Expect July near 17°C and January near -16°C on the long-run figures. Fishing here follows the temperature more than the calendar. The open season starts with the thaw, near enough early May. Break-up near early May, freeze-up near mid November: that is the shape of an average year. September and October fish steadily right up to the freeze. Anyone fishing Lac Long regularly works to that calendar.

• Tackle & Baits

  No public source sets out the position on this bank. Records list it as a natural water body rather than an impoundment. Nothing is listed nearby for parking or launching a boat. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. Season dates differ by species, so read the table. A polite question at the farm gate opens more banks than anything else. Lac de la Becasse at 0.5 km is the sensible second choice. Where Lac Long is concerned, a local answer beats a written one.