Fishing Lac Misere in Outaouais, Quebec

• Overview

  Lac Misere lies within the bounds of Outaouais, Quebec. The bank is 255 metres above sea level. At about 45 hectares, a day is enough to walk the shoreline properly. With about 3.0 km of edge, you can try several depths in one session. Few waters listed in Outaouais are bigger. Some 26 km away sits Saint-Raphaël, the nearest settlement. It is 75 km to Gatineau, the nearest city. Rules here are straightforward: one set of provincial rules.

• Where to Fish on Lac Misere

  No depth figure appears in our records, so the bank has to tell you. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. Survey and observation records for Outaouais include pumpkinseed, yellow perch, smallmouth bass, rainbow smelt and Iowa darter. Take it as the county picture rather than a promise for this water. Read Lac Misere before you fish it and the day goes better.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The warmest month averages 19°C, the coldest about -13°C. Seasons are distinct, and each one fishes differently. Expect a solid lid for months and a thaw around late April. The water is typically free of ice between late April and late November. May into June fishes hardest, and September gives a second good stretch before the lid returns. That is the shape of the year on Lac Misere.

• Tackle & Baits

  There is no clear statement anywhere on who can fish it. It formed naturally, so levels move with rainfall rather than with a gate. Mapping is blank for access, so scout the approach before committing the car. Bass water: a Texas-rigged worm near cover, a spinnerbait when you need to cover ground. A landowner's word beats anything printed elsewhere. Check whether bait restrictions apply before you buy any. For a change of water, Lac Plat is 2.2 km distant. Ask locally about Lac Misere if anything is unclear.