Lac Bell Fishing in Laurentides, Quebec

• Overview

  This water sits in Laurentides, Quebec. The bank is 395 metres above sea level. It runs to roughly 14 hectares — big enough to hold fish away from the bank, small enough to learn. There is roughly 1.6 km of shoreline here, which is a short walk end to end. Nearest place of any size is Manawan, 47 km away. Ferme-Neuve is 66 km away, with Mont-Laurier at 82 km. Rules here are straightforward: one set of provincial rules.

• Where to Fish on Lac Bell

  Depth here is unknown, so count the lead down before committing. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. Fish documented in Laurentides include pumpkinseed, smallmouth bass, yellow perch, brook trout and rock bass. These are county-wide records, so not all of them will be in this water. Anyone new to Lac Bell should walk it once before setting up.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Average temperature peaks around 17°C in July and bottoms out near -16°C in January. This far north the hard season runs and runs. Expect a solid lid for months and a thaw around early May. Averages place the thaw at early May and the freeze at mid November. Late spring and early autumn carry the year between them. Plan any trip to Lac Bell around it.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether you may fish here is not something records settle. It formed naturally, so levels move with rainfall rather than with a gate. Mapping records no facilities at all near this water. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. Check locally before you travel, because a wasted drive is a long one. Some water is controlled locally without a sign saying so. Should this one be busy, Lac du Vieux Moulin a Scie is 1.2 km off. Check the position on Lac Bell before loading the car.