Lac Martineau in Outaouais: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Lac Martineau is an Outaouais water, Quebec side. It lies 271 metres above sea level. About 7 hectares of surface, which puts the far bank inside easy sight. The closest town, Val-des-Monts, is 22 km away. The nearest city of size is Orléans, 38 km away. Others within reach: Lac de l'Ormiere (1 km), Etang Yanik at 1.3 km, Lac de la Grande Prairie (1.5 km), Petit lac Saint-Amour at 1.6 km and Lac Pedro (1.8 km). The county line is nowhere near, so one local authority covers the water.

• Where to Fish on Lac Martineau

  Open data we checked carries no depth for this water. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. Across Outaouais, recorded fish include pumpkinseed, yellow perch, smallmouth bass, rainbow smelt and Iowa darter. What holds for the county may not hold for this water. On Lac Martineau the quiet end is the one worth the extra effort.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Averages here run 18°C at the top of summer and -13°C at the bottom of winter. Cold winters and warm summers give a wide working range. Firm cover through the cold months, then open water from late April. On the long-run averages the water opens up around late April and starts locking again about early December. May into June fishes hardest, and September gives a second good stretch before the lid returns. The season on Lac Martineau follows the weather closely.

• Tackle & Baits

  Who may fish here is not settled in anything we hold. Nothing in the way of made access shows up nearby: no ramp, no car park, no path. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. Rules for this water may differ from the county norm. Night access is frequently treated as a separate matter. Lac de l'Ormiere at 1 km is the sensible second choice. What applies at Lac Martineau may have changed since it was mapped.