Fishing at Lac Amer, Laurentides, Quebec

• Overview

  Out in Laurentides, Quebec, sits Lac Amer. The bank gives way to rolling bush. About 4 hectares of surface, which puts the far bank inside easy sight. On size it sits at the modest end of our Laurentides list. The town to know is Saint-Boniface, 50 km out. Gatineau is the closest city, 166 km away. It sits well inside the county, so one set of rules covers it.

• Where to Fish on Lac Amer

  No depth figure has reached our records, which makes a plummet useful. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. Records held for Laurentides cover pumpkinseed, smallmouth bass and yellow perch. These are county-wide records, so not all of them will be in this water. On Lac Amer that means starting tight and working out.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Seasonal averages run from -16°C in January up to 18°C in July. Winter puts a hard lid on this one. Once it clears, about late April, the fishing comes on quickly. Averages place the thaw at late April and the freeze at late November. The open run goes from the thaw to the freeze, and April through October covers most of it. On Lac Amer the same rules apply, with local timing.

• Tackle & Baits

  Our records carry no access rule either way. Access points are not mapped for this water, which suits people who like quiet. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. Rules differ from one water to the next round here. Access can change hands, so last year's answer may not hold. The nearest alternative is Lac Camomille, 1.2 km out. Treat Lac Amer as unsettled until someone local tells you otherwise.