Lac Pickwick Fishing in Outaouais, Quebec

• Overview

  Lac Pickwick lies in Outaouais, in Quebec. The water sits 260 metres up. The water covers some 27 hectares, so pick a bank rather than trying to cover it all. Around 2.7 km of margin, front to back. Ripon lies 24 km from the water. Further out sit Saint-André-Avellin (30 km) and Buckingham (30 km). No boundary runs near, so the local rules hold throughout.

• Where to Fish on Lac Pickwick

  Open data we checked carries no depth for this water. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. Survey and observation records for Outaouais include pumpkinseed, yellow perch, smallmouth bass, rainbow smelt and Iowa darter. Records at this level tell you what is in the area. On Lac Pickwick that means starting tight and working out.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Expect July near 18°C and January near -14°C on the long-run figures. A hard winter is normal, and the thaw brings a strong few weeks. The lid usually sets by midwinter and gives way around late April. Ice usually gives way near late April, and forms again about late November. Right after break-up, and again as the nights sharpen, is when to go. It holds true on Lac Pickwick more years than not.

• Tackle & Baits

  Public sources are silent on who controls the bank. No dam controls it, and the level follows the season. Mapping is blank for access, so scout the approach before committing the car. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. Gates get locked out of season on water like this. Keep proof of licence with you rather than in the car. For a change of water, Lac Chabot is 1.2 km distant. Treat Lac Pickwick as unsettled until someone local tells you otherwise.