Fishing Lac McTavish in Quebec, Quebec

• Overview

  Lac McTavish lies in in Quebec. Height above sea level is 312 metres. At 3 hectares it is the sort of place you fish for an evening rather than a day. On size it sits at the modest end of our Quebec list. The closest town, Mattawa, is 47 km distant. For a city, Gatineau is 207 km off. Near neighbours: Lac de la Laitue 0.7 km away, Lac Hanwell after 1.8 km, Lac du Lucane 2 km away, Lac Saint-Pons after 2.4 km and Lac des Mures 3 km away. Rules here are straightforward: one set of provincial rules.

• Where to Fish on Lac McTavish

  Depth is unknown to us, and the shoreline is the better guide. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. The shape of Lac McTavish rewards a slow walk along one bank. Take a plummet or a sounder rather than guessing depth.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Long-term averages put July at about 18°C and January near -14°C. Spring and autumn carry the fishing; summer and winter test it. Look for the thaw near late April; the fishing lifts straight after. Break-up sits around late April on average, with the water closing again about late November. The open run goes from the thaw to the freeze, and April through October covers most of it. Keep it in mind when planning a trip to Lac McTavish.

• Tackle & Baits

  The paperwork position is blank for this one. Access is unmapped, which usually means a farm track and a walk. A landowner's word beats anything printed elsewhere. Barbless rules turn up on managed water more often than not. Lac de la Laitue sits 0.7 km off and takes the overflow. Nothing on Lac McTavish should be assumed from this page alone.