Fishing at Lac Ouellet, Mauricie, Quebec

• Overview

  In Quebec, Lac Ouellet belongs to Mauricie. Everything around it is rolling bush. Surface area runs to about 3 hectares — small enough to read in one session. Our Mauricie list holds plenty of bigger water. The nearest place of any size is Laurentides, 37 km away. Then La Tuque, 38 km, and Saint-Raymond, 72 km. It lies deep inside the county rather than near an edge.

• Where to Fish on Lac Ouellet

  There is no recorded depth, so work from what you can see. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. Records held for Mauricie cover northern pike, brook trout, walleye, yellow perch and white sucker. County records show the wider picture rather than this one place. The near bank of Lac Ouellet is often the one people ignore.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Seasonal averages run from -16°C in January up to 17°C in July. The season turns properly here, and fish follow it closely. Ice-out usually falls in early May, and the weeks after it fish hardest. Averages place the thaw at early May and the freeze at mid November. The strongest runs come at either end of the open season. On Lac Ouellet that shapes the whole year.

• Tackle & Baits

  No access rule appears in what we hold. There is no recorded infrastructure here; expect to find your own way in. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. Check locally before you travel, because a wasted drive is a long one. Some water is controlled locally without a sign saying so. Failing this one, try Lac Holloway, 0.9 km away. For Lac Ouellet, the notice at the access point is the final word.