Lac Surprise in Mauricie: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Look for Lac Surprise in the Mauricie part of Quebec. It lies 505 metres above sea level. It covers about 3 hectares, so this is small water you can walk round in under an hour. On size it sits at the modest end of our Mauricie list. The closest town, Leblanc, is 42 km distant. Saguenay is the closest city, 206 km away. No boundary runs near, so the local rules hold throughout.

• Where to Fish on Lac Surprise

  The records we hold are silent on depth, so plan to find it yourself. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. Bays and points beat straight shoreline every time on water like this. Records held for Mauricie cover northern pike, brook trout, walleye and yellow perch. Species recorded across the county may be limited to a few waters. Lac Surprise gives up more to patience than to distance.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The seasonal spread runs -17°C to 16°C. Ice holds for a long stretch, so the open weeks matter more here than further south. The lid arrives early and lasts until roughly early May. Averages place the thaw at early May and the freeze at mid November. The open run goes from the thaw to the freeze, and April through October covers most of it. At Lac Surprise the season follows that pattern closely.

• Tackle & Baits

  Access is not recorded for this water. 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. Ask in the nearest town if you are unsure. Where tickets apply, they are sold in the nearest town rather than on the bank. Should this one be busy, Lac Lointain is 1.3 km off. Nothing on Lac Surprise should be assumed from this page alone.