Lac Smallian Fishing in Outaouais, Quebec

• Overview

  Lac Smallian sits in Outaouais, out in Quebec. It sits at 223 metres above sea level. The water covers some 60 hectares, so pick a bank rather than trying to cover it all. There is roughly 7.6 km of bank, more than one visit can cover properly. Size puts it in the front rank of our Outaouais list. You are 21 km from Ripon. The nearest city of size is Orléans, 42 km away. It sits well inside the county, so one set of rules covers it.

• Where to Fish on Lac Smallian

  Depth here is unknown, so count the lead down before committing. Bays and points beat straight shoreline every time on water like this. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. Outaouais records list pumpkinseed, yellow perch and smallmouth bass among the fish reported. What holds for the county may not hold for this water. The near bank of Lac Smallian is often the one people ignore.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The year swings from about -13°C in January to roughly 19°C in July. Winter closes the water for a while, and the reopening is worth catching. Count on hard cover from midwinter, and open water from late April. Averages suggest open water from about late April through to roughly early December. The strongest runs come at either end of the open season. On Lac Smallian that shapes the whole year.

• Tackle & Baits

  The paperwork position is blank for this one. It formed naturally, so levels move with rainfall rather than with a gate. Access points are not mapped for this water, which suits people who like quiet. Bass water: a Texas-rigged worm near cover, a spinnerbait when you need to cover ground. A phone call first saves an afternoon. Some water is controlled locally without a sign saying so. For a change of water, Lac Graham is 1.9 km distant. Ask locally about Lac Smallian if anything is unclear.