Le Club de chasse et pêche du Comté de Wolfe
The Wolfe County Fish and Game Club
Welcome to Breeches Lake
The Wolfe County Fish and Game Club, one of the oldest of its kind in Canada, is the owner of most of the land adjacent to the lake.
The Club occupies 480 Ha around Breeches Lake in the Chaudière-Appalaches region. Most of the land has been converted into a Nature Reserve in partnership with the
Government of Québec.
The fragile flora and fauna around the lake are now protected.
We are proud of keeping this pristine natural zone for the
enjoyment of future generations.
Message to visitors: Help us preserve the water quality of the
lake by cleaning your boat (9.9 hp maximum)before cruising on the lake.
The Club
The 44 cottages located on the west shore of the lake are owned by members of the Club. Since the number of members is at its capacity of 60, the only opportunity to become a member of the Club is through the purchase of a cottage.
Reserved exclusively for members, the secure section of the site is used to share useful information. Please note that the Clubhouse can only be reserved by members.
Fishing on Breeches Lake is available to everyone free of charge. Access to the body of water is possible via the boat launch area located along Route 263. The maximum engine power allowed is 9.9 HP. In order to maintain the quality of the lake water, we ask that you clean your boat before launching it. The permitted fishing periods are those of zone 4. Winter fishing is not allowed on the lake.
On your next visit, please respect the land around Breeches Lake which is the property of the Club. Plant picking, camping and campfires are prohibited.
For any questions, please use the “Contact” tab
Club History
The Wolfe County Fish and Game Club was founded in 1898 by a group of people from the Cookshire and Sherbrooke area. They purchased land in the vicinity of Breeches Lake and a provincial government fishing license.
The first members and their families enjoyed spending the summer at Breeches Lake with a guardian on site, a spacious Clubhouse and a boat shelter that remains a landmark today. The first six cottages that were built at the beginning of the twentieth century served as extra bedrooms with meals prepared by a chef and served in the large dining room of the Clubhouse. In the late 1920s, the Club included ten cottages in the northwest corner of the lake. Most of these original cottages still exist today.
At first, the Club was only a small summer community centered around the Clubhouse. Fishing was a very popular activity and several fishing stories were told on the Clubhouse's large deck. Each catch had to be entered in the Club's registry so that the Superintendent of Fisheries could manage the fish populations for the benefit of the members. The Clubhouse was the center of activities for young and old and the members met to play cards, to tell hunting and fishing stories or to play music. Unfortunately the Clubhouse was completely destroyed by fire during the winter of 1977. The Club bought the cottage of a member in 1978 and converted it to what serves as the Clubhouse today.
The Club
Founded in 1898
60 members
Territory of 480 hectares
Recognized Nature Reserve
Breeches Lake
Area of 247 hectares
Average depth: 13m
95% natural shores
Watershed: Bécancour river
The Clubhouse in the 1970s
The 50s and 60s witnessed several changes to the Wolfe County Fish and Game Club. The number of members has increased and new cottages have been created. Before the construction of the road, access to summer cottages was only possible by boat or on foot and the transportation of building materials was by boat in summer or by sleigh over the lake in winter.
Originally, most new members came from Thetford Mines or Victoriaville. Our early members recall the annual general meeting was held after a dinner at St. George's Club in Sherbrooke.
During the early days of the Club, before the road was built, several families moved to the lake for the summer, and men commuted daily or once a week between their work and the cottage. The families left without a car, relied on boats as a means of transport. The grocer's truck went to the Clubhouse once or twice a week and the families went there to restock.
Despite the emergence of electricity, running water, telephone and other modern conveniences, the Club continued to promote ecological principles. In the 1960s, new ponds were built for fish farming, enabling the Club to introduce more effective fish supply programs. The Club limited the use of outboard motors to preserve the tranquility of the lake. As a result, the club continued to purchase land in the vicinity of Breeches, Sunday and Loon Pond lakes. Today the Club owns approximately 480 hectares in the catchment area of Breeches Lake.
The land acquisition strategy has served the Club well especially when it lost its fishing rights in the 1970s. As the owner of most of the land around Breeches Lake, the Club was able to preserve the unique and natural appearance, which remains evident today. Members remain committed to working in partnership with governmental and para-governmental agencies to preserve the unique aspect of Breeches Lake.
Aerial view of Breeches Lake
During the 1980s and 1990s, new cottages appeared and several members of the second and third generation were members of the Club. Also some members spent most of the year at the lake and others remained permanently after their retirement. During this period, community camaraderie was strong within the Club. The lake and the surrounding municipalities of Saint-Jacques-le-Majeur-de-Wolfestown and Disraëli were special places that attracted members every year. Members and families remember nostalgic community and family events of this period. Pork roasts each Labour Day, activities for children during the "Breeches Lake Weekend" in July and tennis tournaments gave each year the opportunity to meet friends and get to know new ones.
At the beginning of its second century, the Wolfe County Fish and Game Club focuses more on conservation and preservation of the natural environment than on hunting and fishing. The sixty members and their families continue to benefit from the natural location, the clear water of the lake and the tranquility of this special place.
