Lac McCarthy in Outaouais: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Lac McCarthy falls in Outaouais, part of Quebec. Height above sea level is 187 metres. At about 23 hectares, a day is enough to walk the shoreline properly. There is roughly 2.9 km of shoreline here, which is a short walk end to end. It is low-lying compared with other Quebec water we list. Saint-Raphaël at 37 km is the nearest place to stop. For a city, Gatineau is 63 km off. No county line comes close, which keeps the paperwork simple.

• Where to Fish on Lac McCarthy

  No depth figure appears in our records, so the bank has to tell you. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. Bays and points beat straight shoreline every time on water like this. Species logged across Outaouais include pumpkinseed, yellow perch, smallmouth bass, rainbow smelt and Iowa darter. The county list is broader than any single water. The shape of Lac McCarthy rewards a slow walk along one bank.

• Seasonal Patterns

  July runs about 19°C on average, January about -13°C. A full turn of seasons, with the strongest sport on either side of summer. Count the season from break-up, usually late April. The open-water window runs from around late April to about early December in an average year. September and October fish steadily right up to the freeze. Plan any trip to Lac McCarthy around it.

• Tackle & Baits

  We have no record of the rules that apply on this bank. Records list it as a natural water body rather than an impoundment. Nothing in the way of made access shows up nearby: no ramp, no car park, no path. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. Where access is informal, keep it that way by behaving. Where the way in crosses private ground, ask first. The nearest alternative is Lac Neil, 1.6 km out. Nothing here settles the position at Lac McCarthy for certain.