Lac Bonsall Fishing near Val-des-Monts, Quebec

• Overview

  Lac Bonsall is one of the Outaouais waters in Quebec. Land around it is rolling bush. At roughly 3 hectares, the whole thing is within casting reach of a single walk. On size it sits at the modest end of our Outaouais list. Val-des-Monts sits 14 km from here and is the nearest stop. After that come Wakefield at 16 km and Cantley at 24 km. There is no boundary nearby to worry about.

• Where to Fish on Lac Bonsall

  Depth went unrecorded, which puts the reading back on you. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. Records held for Outaouais cover pumpkinseed, yellow perch, smallmouth bass and rainbow smelt. Species recorded across the county may be limited to a few waters. At Lac Bonsall light and wind decide more than tackle does.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Expect July near 19°C and January near -13°C on the long-run figures. The year splits cleanly: hard water, then open water. Firm cover through the cold months, then open water from late April. Going by climate averages, expect open water from about late April until roughly early December. May into June fishes hardest, and September gives a second good stretch before the lid returns. Lac Bonsall runs to its own calendar within the local pattern.

• Tackle & Baits

  There is no clear statement anywhere on who can fish it. There is no mapped parking or launch nearby, which keeps numbers down. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. Take the rules with you rather than trusting memory. Where parking is tight, arriving early solves most problems. For a change of water, Lac McGarry is 0.6 km distant. For Lac Bonsall in particular, ask before you travel.