Fishing at Lac Rousseau, Capitale-Nationale, Quebec

• Overview

  Lac Rousseau lies in Capitale-Nationale, in Quebec. Everything around it is taiga. Small at around 2 hectares: two anglers spread out cover most of it. On size it sits at the modest end of our Capitale-Nationale list. Nearest place of any size is Laurentides, 18 km away. Sainte-Foy sits 69 km out, and it is the nearest city worth the name. No boundary runs near, so the local rules hold throughout.

• Where to Fish on Lac Rousseau

  Depth here is unknown, so count the lead down before committing. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. Across Capitale-Nationale, recorded fish include lake sturgeon, Atlantic sturgeon and longnose sucker. Protected fish appear in the records for this area, so treat the list as information, not an invitation. Anyone new to Lac Rousseau should walk it once before setting up.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Between January at about -15°C and July at about 17°C, the water has a wide range to work through. This far north the hard season runs and runs. Count on hard cover from midwinter, and open water from early May. From about early May to around mid November, expect open water on the long-run figures. Right after break-up, and again as the nights sharpen, is when to go. Lac Rousseau runs to its own calendar within the local pattern.

• Tackle & Baits

  The paperwork position is blank for this one. There is a recognised fishing place here: Omble de fontaine, 1.1 km off. Walleye come to jigs worked slow near bottom, and to trolled crankbaits along the drops at dusk. Some banks are open only from a marked point. Some water is controlled locally without a sign saying so. Lac Morin sits 1.1 km off and takes the overflow. The position on Lac Rousseau is worth confirming on the day.