Lac Arian in Laurentides: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Lac Arian lies within the bounds of Laurentides, Quebec. This is taiga country. The water covers some 14 hectares, so pick a bank rather than trying to cover it all. With about 2.6 km of edge, you can try several depths in one session. Supplies mean a trip to Ferme-Neuve, 63 km off. Saint-Boniface lies 75 km off, Mont-Laurier another 76 km. It lies deep inside the county rather than near an edge.

• Where to Fish on Lac Arian

  Depth remains unrecorded, so treat the first session as a survey. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. Records held for Laurentides cover pumpkinseed, smallmouth bass and yellow perch. Records at this level tell you what is in the area. At Lac Arian the first feature you find is worth twenty minutes.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The warmest month averages 17°C, the coldest about -17°C. The ice season is long here and the open one short. Expect a solid lid for months and a thaw around early May. On the long-run averages the water opens up around early May and starts locking again about mid November. Fish feed hardest at the start and the close of the open season. At Lac Arian the season follows that pattern closely.

• Tackle & Baits

  No access rule appears in what we hold. Records list it as a natural water body rather than an impoundment. No car park, ramp or path is recorded within easy reach of the shore. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. Season dates differ by species, so read the table. Some water is controlled locally without a sign saying so. Lac Belson at 1.2 km is the sensible second choice. Where Lac Arian is concerned, a local answer beats a written one.