Lac Surgis in Outaouais: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Lac Surgis lies in Outaouais, Quebec. It sits at 289 metres above sea level. At 2.41 sq km this is proper open water rather than a pond. At about 19 km of edge, most people work one arm at a time. On our Outaouais list it sits near the top for size. The closest town, Deep River, is 53 km distant. After that come Chalk River at 60 km and Petawawa at 70 km. The nearest boundary is a fair way off.

• Where to Fish on Lac Surgis

  Depth went unrecorded, which puts the reading back on you. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. Species logged across Outaouais include pumpkinseed, yellow perch, smallmouth bass and rainbow smelt. Take it as the county picture rather than a promise for this water. On Lac Surgis the obvious spot is not always the productive one.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Averages move between -15°C in January and 18°C in July. A solid cap is the normal state through winter. Count the season from break-up, usually late April. Average temperatures cross freezing around late April in spring and again near late November in autumn. June through September is the settled part of the year, with the shoulders busier for fish. Lac Surgis runs to that rhythm year in and year out.

• Tackle & Baits

  Who may fish here is not settled in anything we hold. No dam controls it, and the level follows the season. Access is unmapped, which usually means a farm track and a walk. Bass water: a Texas-rigged worm near cover, a spinnerbait when you need to cover ground. Parking is often the real limit rather than the bank itself. Signs go up and come down, so check on the day. Should this one be busy, Lac Pique is 1.6 km off. For Lac Surgis in particular, ask before you travel.