Lac Roberge Fishing near Sainte-Thècle, Quebec

• Overview

  Lac Roberge is one of the Mauricie listings for Quebec. The ground round it is lake country bush. At 1.93 sq km this is proper open water rather than a pond. Shoreline length is close to 11 km, and each section fishes a little differently. Size puts it in the front rank of our Mauricie list. Sainte-Thècle lies 20 km from the water. Further out sit Laurentides (24 km) and Saint-Tite (29 km). It sits well inside the county, so one set of rules covers it.

• Where to Fish on Lac Roberge

  We hold no survey for this water; read the slope of the shoreline instead. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. Survey and observation records for Mauricie include northern pike, brook trout, walleye, yellow perch and white sucker. What holds for the county may not hold for this water. Fish Lac Roberge where the bottom changes rather than where it looks deep.

• Seasonal Patterns

  On the long-term average, July reads 18°C and January reads -15°C. A full turn of seasons, with the strongest sport on either side of summer. Count the season from break-up, usually late April. The open-water window runs from around late April to about late November in an average year. Late spring and early autumn carry the year between them. That is the shape of the year on Lac Roberge.

• Tackle & Baits

  There is no clear statement anywhere on who can fish it. It formed naturally, so levels move with rainfall rather than with a gate. There is no mapped parking or launch close by, which usually means walking in. Bass water: a Texas-rigged worm near cover, a spinnerbait when you need to cover ground. Season dates differ by species, so read the table. Keep proof of licence with you rather than in the car. Should this one be busy, Lac Roy is 1.9 km off. Where Lac Roberge is concerned, a local answer beats a written one.