Fishing Petit lac Noir in Mauricie, Quebec

• Overview

  The Mauricie end of Quebec holds Petit lac Noir. The surface lies 474 metres up. This is a pocket water of some 4 hectares, and every part of it is reachable from the bank. Most waters listed here for Mauricie are larger. Start from La Tuque, 30 km down the road. Laurentides follows at 46 km, then Sainte-Thècle at 80 km. Near neighbours: Lac de la Sittelle after 0.6 km, Lac Willie about 1.2 km, Lac Corinne after 1.3 km, Lac Pit about 1.4 km and Lac Roy after 1.8 km. The nearest boundary is a fair way off.

• Where to Fish on Petit lac Noir

  Depth remains unrecorded, so treat the first session as a survey. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. This is a lake, so the margins and the first drop matter most. Across Mauricie, recorded fish include northern pike, brook trout, walleye and yellow perch. Those are county-wide records, so not every one of them will be in this water. On Petit lac Noir the obvious spot is not always the productive one.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The range across the year is -16°C to 17°C. The year here is short and sharp: a long lid, then a burst of open water. The open season starts with the thaw, near enough early May. Going by climate averages, expect open water from about early May until roughly mid November. Fish feed hardest at the start and the close of the open season. Keep it in mind when planning a trip to Petit lac Noir.

• Tackle & Baits

  No public source sets out the position on this bank. Access points are not mapped for this water, which suits people who like quiet. Bass water: a Texas-rigged worm near cover, a spinnerbait when you need to cover ground. Bank access can be seasonal on ground like this. Some ground is open by custom rather than by right, so tread carefully. Failing this one, try Lac de la Sittelle, 0.6 km away. For Petit lac Noir in particular, ask before you travel.