Fishing at Lac Ratafia, Outaouais, Quebec

• Overview

  Look for Lac Ratafia in Outaouais, Quebec. Mixed forest runs right down to the water. This is a pocket water of some 7 hectares, and every part of it is reachable from the bank. Saint-Boniface lies 34 km from the water. Further out sit Maniwaki (47 km) and Ferme-Neuve (49 km). More in the same country: Lac Jouee 0.4 km, Lac Minoming (1 km), Lac Baille 1.2 km, Lac Jota (1.5 km) and Lac Mancelle 1.5 km. The nearest edge is a long way off, so local rules apply throughout.

• Where to Fish on Lac Ratafia

  We hold no depth figure for this one. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. Records held for Outaouais cover pumpkinseed, yellow perch, smallmouth bass, rainbow smelt and Iowa darter. The county list is broader than any single water. On Lac Ratafia the quiet end is the one worth the extra effort.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Seasonal averages run from -15°C in January up to 18°C in July. Winter closes the water for a while, and the reopening is worth catching. Hard cover is dependable here; it goes around late April. In an average year the thaw lands around late April and the freeze near late November. June through September is the settled part of the year, with the shoulders busier for fish. Plan around that when you fish Lac Ratafia.

• Tackle & Baits

  There is no clear statement anywhere on who can fish it. Nothing is mapped in the way of a ramp or car park within a short radius. Bass water: a Texas-rigged worm near cover, a spinnerbait when you need to cover ground. Parking is often the real limit rather than the bank itself. Some ground is open by custom rather than by right, so tread carefully. Lac Jouee, 0.4 km away, makes the obvious fallback. For Lac Ratafia in particular, ask before you travel.