Fishing Lac a la Tortue in Lanaudière, Quebec

• Overview

  Lac a la Tortue is one of the Lanaudière listings for Quebec. Elevation runs to 479 metres. Nearest place of any size is Saint-Michel-des-Saints, 27 km away. Saint-Louis-de-Terrebonne sits 84 km out, and it is the nearest city worth the name. Near neighbours: 1.3 km out stands Lac Jobin, Deuxieme lac Lincourt sits 1.6 km out, 1.6 km out stands Premier lac Lincourt, Lac Trosby sits 1.9 km out and 1.9 km out stands Lac Nick. It sits well inside the county, so one set of rules covers it.

• Where to Fish on Lac a la Tortue

  Depth went unrecorded, which puts the reading back on you. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. Bays and points beat straight shoreline every time on water like this. Species logged across Lanaudière include pumpkinseed, smallmouth bass and yellow perch. County records show the wider picture rather than this one place. On Lac a la Tortue a short move beats a long cast.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Averages here run 17°C at the top of summer and -15°C at the bottom of winter. Winter shuts the surface down for months. Hard cover is dependable here; it goes around early May. In an average year the thaw lands around early May and the freeze near late November. The strong weeks are the first after break-up and the last before the freeze. Keep it in mind when planning a trip to Lac a la Tortue.

• Tackle & Baits

  There is no clear statement anywhere on who can fish it. No built facilities appear in mapping around this water. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. Read any posted signs at the access point rather than assuming. Some ground is open by custom rather than by right, so tread carefully. Failing this one, try Lac Jobin, 1.3 km away. The position on Lac a la Tortue is worth confirming on the day.