Lac Mercury in Laurentides: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Within Laurentides, Quebec, you have Lac Mercury. The bank gives way to spruce and muskeg. Around 65 hectares of surface means several distinct areas to work. At about 9.7 km of edge, most people work one arm at a time. It ranks high for size among our Laurentides listings. The nearest place of any size is Ferme-Neuve, 63 km away. For a city, Gatineau is 192 km off. It lies deep inside the county rather than near an edge.

• Where to Fish on Lac Mercury

  No figure exists for depth, so let the water show you. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. Public occurrence data for Laurentides names pumpkinseed, smallmouth bass, yellow perch, brook trout and rock bass. The county figures include rivers and lakes alike. Lac Mercury fishes better once you know its edges.

• Seasonal Patterns

  July is the warm end of the year here, averaging about 17°C, while January sits near -17°C. The fishing year opens late and shuts early. Ice-out usually falls in early May, and the weeks after it fish hardest. The season between ice runs from about early May to mid November. Fish feed hardest at the start and the close of the open season. The season on Lac Mercury rarely departs from it.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether the bank is open is not something our records settle. This is a natural basin, not a dammed one. We find no slipway, car park or made path within a short radius, so treat access as rough. Bass water: a Texas-rigged worm near cover, a spinnerbait when you need to cover ground. Look for a notice board at the entrance. Check whether bait restrictions apply before you buy any. Lac Losee at 1.8 km is the sensible second choice. For Lac Mercury in particular, ask before you travel.