Lac Saphir Fishing in Mauricie, Quebec

• Overview

  Lac Saphir is set in Mauricie, Quebec. It stands 400 metres above sea level. This is a pocket water of some 3 hectares, and every part of it is reachable from the bank. On size it sits at the modest end of our Mauricie list. Saint-Élie-de-Caxton is the closest place, 44 km off. After that come Shawinigan at 49 km and Mandeville at 50 km. The nearest boundary is well away, so one set of rules covers the water.

• Where to Fish on Lac Saphir

  Our records carry no depth, so judge it from the bank. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. County-wide records name northern pike, brook trout, walleye, yellow perch and white sucker. What holds for the county may not hold for this water. Fish Lac Saphir to its features, not to its size.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Seasonal averages run from -15°C in January up to 17°C in July. The year runs cold to warm and back, with clear transitions. Break-up comes around late April, and the run that follows is short and strong. On the long-run averages the water opens up around late April and starts locking again about late November. The first weeks of open water and the last are the ones to plan for. That is the shape of the year on Lac Saphir.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing on record says whether the bank is open or closed. Nothing built is recorded close to the bank here. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. A landowner's word beats anything printed elsewhere. Some water is controlled locally without a sign saying so. The nearest alternative is Lac Labrecque, 1.2 km out. For Lac Saphir, the notice at the access point is the final word.