Lac Reid in Mauricie: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Out in Mauricie, Quebec, sits Lac Reid. Height above sea level is 374 metres. It measures about 73 hectares, which is a comfortable size for bank fishing. Around 6.5 km of bank, which is a long day on foot. On our Mauricie list it sits near the top for size. Shawinigan lies 33 km from the water. Saint-Élie-de-Caxton is 34 km and Hérouxville 34 km. No border sits close enough to matter.

• Where to Fish on Lac Reid

  Depth is unmeasured here, so let the shoreline guide you. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. Records held for Mauricie cover northern pike, brook trout, walleye and yellow perch. It is the county picture; the agency list is water-specific. Lac Reid repays a walk before the first cast.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The warmest month averages 18°C, the coldest about -15°C. The freeze arrives properly here and holds. The freeze runs deep into the year, with break-up near late April. From about late April to around late November, expect open water on the long-run figures. Early summer and early autumn carry the open-water season. It sets the rhythm of the year at Lac Reid.

• Tackle & Baits

  No access rule appears in what we hold. No dam controls it, and the level follows the season. We find no slipway, car park or made path within a short radius, so treat access as rough. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. Rules differ from one water to the next round here. Some water is controlled locally without a sign saying so. The nearest alternative is Lac Sawanac, 1 km out. Confirm access to Lac Reid locally before you travel.