Lac Saint-Laurent Fishing near La Tuque, Quebec

• Overview

  Lac Saint-Laurent is listed under Mauricie, Quebec. Height above sea level is 310 metres. Surface area is around 20 hectares, which gives you real water without needing a boat. A shoreline of some 3.0 km keeps the choices simple. For supplies, La Tuque is 15 km out. Trois-Rivières sits 108 km out, and it is the nearest city worth the name. No county line comes close, which keeps the paperwork simple.

• Where to Fish on Lac Saint-Laurent

  Depth remains unrecorded, so treat the first session as a survey. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. Records held for Mauricie cover northern pike, brook trout, walleye, yellow perch and white sucker. What holds for the county may not hold for this water. Treat Lac Saint-Laurent as a water to read rather than to cover.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Climate normals give 18°C for July and -15°C for January. Four clear seasons, with a proper winter at one end. Ice-out usually falls in late April, and the weeks after it fish hardest. On the long-run averages the water opens up around late April and starts locking again about late November. June through September is the settled part of the year, with the shoulders busier for fish. Keep it in mind when planning a trip to Lac Saint-Laurent.

• 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. We find no slipway, car park or made path within a short radius, so treat access as rough. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. A landowner's word beats anything printed elsewhere. Some water is controlled locally without a sign saying so. The nearest alternative is Lac Houle, 1.8 km out. Check the position on Lac Saint-Laurent before loading the car.