Lac Pigou Fishing near Laurentides, Quebec

• Overview

  Lac Pigou stands in Capitale-Nationale, Quebec. Elevation runs to 330 metres. It covers about 2 hectares, so this is small water you can walk round in under an hour. It is a small entry by Capitale-Nationale standards. Nearest place of any size is Laurentides, 15 km away. La Tuque follows at 40 km, then Sainte-Thècle at 52 km. Rules here are straightforward: one set of provincial rules.

• Where to Fish on Lac Pigou

  Depth went unrecorded, which puts the reading back on you. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. County-wide records name lake sturgeon, Atlantic sturgeon, longnose sucker and sauger. Protected fish appear in the records for this area, so treat the list as information, not an invitation. Fish Lac Pigou where the bottom changes rather than where it looks deep.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The warmest month averages 17°C, the coldest about -15°C. The year runs cold to warm and back, with clear transitions. Ice-out usually falls in late April, and the weeks after it fish hardest. From about late April to around late November, expect open water on the long-run figures. Late spring and early autumn carry the year between them. The season on Lac Pigou rarely departs from it.

• Tackle & Baits

  No access rule appears in what we hold. Access points are not mapped for this water, which suits people who like quiet. For walleye, a jig and minnow near the bottom is the standard; evenings beat middays. Take the rules with you rather than trusting memory. Barbless rules turn up on managed water more often than not. Lac Martel at 1 km is the sensible second choice. Confirm access to Lac Pigou locally before you travel.