Fishing Lacs Yankee in Outaouais, Quebec

• Overview

  Quebec holds Lacs Yankee, in Outaouais. The country round it is pine and birch from end to end. Roughly 32 hectares: a morning covers one end, an afternoon the other. There is roughly 5.8 km of bank, more than one visit can cover properly. It is among the larger waters listed here for Outaouais. The nearest place of any size is Deep River, 84 km away. The big place round here is Gatineau, 191 km distant. The county line is nowhere near, so one local authority covers the water.

• Where to Fish on Lacs Yankee

  Depth figures are not published for this one. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. Survey and observation records for Outaouais include pumpkinseed, yellow perch, smallmouth bass, rainbow smelt and Iowa darter. These are county-wide records, so not all of them will be in this water. Read Lacs Yankee before you fish it and the day goes better.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Average temperature peaks around 17°C in July and bottoms out near -16°C in January. Winter closes the water for a while, and the reopening is worth catching. The lid usually goes in late April, which opens the strongest weeks of the year. On the long-run averages the water opens up around late April and starts locking again about late November. September and October fish steadily right up to the freeze. Anyone fishing Lacs Yankee regularly works to that calendar.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether the bank is open is not something our records settle. Mapping is blank for access, so scout the approach before committing the car. Bass water: a Texas-rigged worm near cover, a spinnerbait when you need to cover ground. Some banks are open only from a marked point. Signs go up and come down, so check on the day. Failing this one, try Lac la Ferme, 1.2 km away. Rules at Lacs Yankee are worth checking on the day.