Lac Sheezim in Mauricie: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Lac Sheezim lies in Mauricie, Quebec. The country here is boreal forest. At 8 hectares it is the sort of place you fish for an evening rather than a day. Some 21 km away sits La Tuque, the nearest settlement. Sainte-Foy sits 131 km out, and it is the nearest city worth the name. Near neighbours: Lac Pettigrew roughly 1.3 km, Lac Loan some 2.9 km off, Lac Caribou roughly 3.2 km, Lac Grace some 3.4 km off and Lac Spruce roughly 4.1 km. No county line comes close, which keeps the paperwork simple.

• Where to Fish on Lac Sheezim

  Depth is unknown to us, and the shoreline is the better guide. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. Public occurrence data for Mauricie names northern pike, brook trout, walleye, yellow perch and white sucker. County data is a starting point rather than a guarantee. On Lac Sheezim the obvious spot is not always the productive one.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Between January at about -16°C and July at about 17°C, the water has a wide range to work through. Winter owns most of the year at this latitude. After early May the shallows warm and the fish move up. The lid tends to go about early May and return around mid November. The strong weeks are the first after break-up and the last before the freeze. At Lac Sheezim the season follows that pattern closely.

• Tackle & Baits

  Who may fish here is not settled in anything we hold. Mapping is blank for access, so scout the approach before committing the car. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. Where a permit is needed, the nearest town usually sells it. Access can change hands, so last year's answer may not hold. Lac Pettigrew, 1.3 km away, makes the obvious fallback. Check the current arrangement for Lac Sheezim.