Lac a Ben in Outaouais: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Out in Outaouais, Quebec, sits Lac a Ben. The surface lies 194 metres up. It measures about 10 hectares, which is a comfortable size for bank fishing. There is roughly 2.2 km of shoreline here, which is a short walk end to end. Ground here is low by Quebec standards. Nearest place of any size is Fort-Coulonge, 11 km away. Pembroke is 27 km away, with Cobden at 34 km. It sits well inside its county, with no border complications.

• Where to Fish on Lac a Ben

  Depth is unknown to us, and the shoreline is the better guide. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. Species logged across Outaouais include pumpkinseed, yellow perch, smallmouth bass and rainbow smelt. County records show what lives in the area; the local agency holds the water-by-water list. The near bank of Lac a Ben is often the one people ignore.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Averages move between -14°C in January and 19°C in July. Winter puts a hard lid on this one. Count on hard cover from midwinter, and open water from late April. Break-up near late April, freeze-up near late November: that is the shape of an average year. Reckon on open water from spring through to late autumn, with May and June the strongest. That is the shape of the year on Lac a Ben.

• Tackle & Baits

  Public data does not answer the access question here. No dam controls it, and the level follows the season. 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. A phone call first saves an afternoon. Where the way in crosses private ground, ask first. For a change of water, Lac Angus-Roy is 1.5 km distant. Check the position at Lac a Ben before loading the car.