Fishing at Lac Pique, Outaouais, Quebec

• Overview

  Outaouais in Quebec is where Lac Pique sits. It lies 299 metres above sea level. Roughly 48 hectares: a morning covers one end, an afternoon the other. The bank runs about 4.1 km all the way round, so one visit can cover most of it. It ranks high for size among our Outaouais listings. The nearest town is Deep River, 54 km away. For a city, Gatineau is 163 km off. The nearest boundary is a fair way off.

• Where to Fish on Lac Pique

  Our records carry no depth, so judge it from the bank. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. Fish documented in Outaouais include pumpkinseed, yellow perch and smallmouth bass. Records at county level tell you what is around, not what is stocked here. Work Lac Pique in sections rather than trying to cover it.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Seasonal averages run from -15°C in January up to 18°C in July. Fishing here follows the temperature more than the calendar. Once it clears, about late April, the fishing comes on quickly. Break-up near late April, freeze-up near late November: that is the shape of an average year. June through September is the settled part of the year, with the shoulders busier for fish. Lac Pique runs to that rhythm year in and year out.

• Tackle & Baits

  The rules here are undocumented as far as public sources go. It formed naturally, so levels move with rainfall rather than with a gate. We find no slipway, car park or made path within a short radius, so treat access as rough. Read any posted signs at the access point rather than assuming. Rules for boats are stricter than rules for the bank in many places. Lac Surgis sits 1.6 km off and takes the overflow. Nothing here settles the position at Lac Pique for certain.