Fishing at Lac Poire, Outaouais, Quebec

• Overview

  Lac Poire lies in Outaouais, in Quebec. The bank is 388 metres above sea level. Roughly 40 hectares: a morning covers one end, an afternoon the other. The bank runs about 2.7 km all the way round, so one visit can cover most of it. Few waters listed in Outaouais are bigger. Ferme-Neuve sits 100 km from the bank. For a city, Gatineau is 221 km off. The nearest edge is a long way off, so local rules apply throughout.

• Where to Fish on Lac Poire

  No figure exists for depth, so let the water show you. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. Records held for Outaouais cover pumpkinseed, yellow perch, smallmouth bass, rainbow smelt and Iowa darter. The county figures include rivers and lakes alike. The shape of Lac Poire decides where the fish sit.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Climate records put July near 17°C and January near -17°C. Everything is compressed into the middle of the year. Expect a solid lid for months and a thaw around early May. Break-up near early May, freeze-up near mid November: that is the shape of an average year. The strongest runs come at either end of the open season. The season on Lac Poire follows the weather closely.

• Tackle & Baits

  Public sources are silent on who controls the bank. Records list it as a natural water body rather than an impoundment. Mapping records no facilities at all near this water. Largemouth respond to soft plastics tight to cover; go weedless where the growth is heavy. A landowner's word beats anything printed elsewhere. Keep proof of licence with you rather than in the car. For a change of water, Lac des Pistes d'Odeur is 1.5 km distant. Where Lac Poire is concerned, a local answer beats a written one.