Lac Xavier Fishing in Mauricie, Quebec

• Overview

  The Mauricie entry here is Lac Xavier, in Quebec. Elevation runs to 401 metres. At 4 hectares it is the sort of place you fish for an evening rather than a day. It is one of the smaller waters we list in Mauricie. The closest town, Weymontachie, is 37 km away. After that come La Tuque at 61 km and Manawan at 75 km. The county line is nowhere near, so one local authority covers the water.

• Where to Fish on Lac Xavier

  There is no published depth for this one, so start shallow and work out. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. Records held for Mauricie cover northern pike, brook trout, walleye, yellow perch and white sucker. County records show the wider picture rather than this one place. Anyone new to Lac Xavier should walk it once before setting up.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Average temperature peaks around 17°C in July and bottoms out near -16°C in January. Long winters and short summers set the pattern. The freeze runs deep into the year, with break-up near early May. 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. Lac Xavier fishes to that pattern most years.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether the bank is open is not something our records settle. There is no mapped parking or launch close by, which usually means walking in. Largemouth respond to soft plastics tight to cover; go weedless where the growth is heavy. Ask in the nearest town if you are unsure. Barbless rules turn up on managed water more often than not. Lac Walker at 1.5 km is the sensible second choice. What applies at Lac Xavier may have changed since it was mapped.