Lac Sanguin in Mauricie: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Quebec holds Lac Sanguin, in Mauricie. The surface lies 264 metres up. The water covers some 73 hectares, so pick a bank rather than trying to cover it all. Shoreline length is close to 11 km, and each section fishes a little differently. It ranks high for size among our Mauricie listings. The nearest place of any size is La Tuque, 23 km away. Weymontachie follows at 68 km, then Laurentides at 73 km. It lies deep inside the county rather than near an edge.

• Where to Fish on Lac Sanguin

  There is no published depth for this one, so start shallow and work out. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. Survey and observation records for Mauricie include northern pike, brook trout, walleye and yellow perch. What holds for the county may not hold for this water. On Lac Sanguin that means starting tight and working out.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Typical July readings run about 18°C; by January the average is down near -16°C. Expect a real winter and a strong spring after it. Ice fishing carries the winter, and the water opens about late April. Climate figures give an open season running late April to late November. Reckon on open water from spring through to late autumn, with May and June the strongest. Time your trip to Lac Sanguin by conditions rather than dates.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether the bank is open is not something our records settle. Records list it as a natural water body rather than an impoundment. Formal access is not mapped, so the last stretch is likely on foot. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. Parking space is the usual limit rather than the bank itself. Some ground is open by custom rather than by right, so tread carefully. Lac Fou sits 1.9 km off and takes the overflow. Check the position at Lac Sanguin before loading the car.