Lac Wabush in Mauricie: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Look for Lac Wabush in the Mauricie part of Quebec. It sits in mixed forest country. Surface area runs to about 5 hectares — small enough to read in one session. On size it sits at the modest end of our Mauricie list. 28 km away sits La Tuque, the nearest town. The nearest city of size is Trois-Rivières, 117 km away. Rules here are straightforward: one set of provincial rules.

• Where to Fish on Lac Wabush

  There is no published depth for this one, so start shallow and work out. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. Open biodiversity records for Mauricie list northern pike, brook trout, walleye and yellow perch. These are county-wide records, so not all of them will be in this water. Lac Wabush repays a walk before the first cast.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Typical July readings run about 17°C; by January the average is down near -16°C. The season turns properly here, and fish follow it closely. Count the season from break-up, usually late April. In an average year the thaw lands around late April and the freeze near late November. From the thaw to midsummer the fishing improves week by week. Keep it in mind when planning a trip to Lac Wabush.

• Tackle & Baits

  Public sources are silent on who controls the bank. There is no recorded infrastructure here; expect to find your own way in. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. Check whether a boat is allowed before you tow one. A polite question at the farm gate opens more banks than anything else. Should this one be busy, Lac Carouge is 1 km off. For Lac Wabush in particular, ask before you travel.