Fishing at Lac Mado, Mauricie, Quebec

• Overview

  Set in Mauricie, Lac Mado is a Quebec water. The ground around here is lake country bush. The water measures roughly 9 hectares, so nothing here is far from anything else. Start from La Tuque, 51 km down the road. For a city, Trois-Rivières is 140 km off. Water in the same corner: Lac Gerard 0.4 km, Lac Lottinville the better part of 1.3 km, Lac du Chardon 1.3 km, Lac Bataille the better part of 1.7 km and Lac Rebe 2.2 km. One jurisdiction covers this water end to end.

• Where to Fish on Lac Mado

  We hold no depth figure for this one. Bays and points beat straight shoreline every time on water like this. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. County-wide records name northern pike, brook trout, walleye, yellow perch and white sucker. Records at county level tell you what is around, not what is stocked here. At Lac Mado the water rewards a slow, careful approach.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Expect July to average close to 17°C, with January the cold end at about -16°C. A full turn of seasons, with the strongest sport on either side of summer. Ice-out usually falls in late April, and the weeks after it fish hardest. Ice clears near late April and comes back about mid November in a typical year. Late spring and early autumn carry the year between them. Plan any trip to Lac Mado around it.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether the bank is open is not something our records settle. No launch point is recorded nearby, so this is a bank water unless you carry a boat in. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. Look for a notice board at the entrance. Access can change hands, so last year's answer may not hold. Lac Gerard at 0.4 km is the sensible second choice. For Lac Mado in particular, ask before you travel.