Lac Cecile in Laurentides: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Lac Cecile is one of the Laurentides listings for Quebec. Elevation runs to 299 metres. Surface area is around 15 hectares, which gives you real water without needing a boat. Around 1.7 km of margin, front to back. The nearest town is Mont-Laurier, 24 km away. For a city, Orléans is 126 km off. Near neighbours: Lac Pierre within 0.8 km, Lac Laroque 2.8 km away, Lac McLarens within 2.8 km, Lac a la Truite 3 km away and Lac Hector within 3.5 km. The nearest boundary is a fair way off.

• Where to Fish on Lac Cecile

  Without a survey to go on, judge depth from how the bank falls away. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. Public occurrence data for Laurentides names pumpkinseed, smallmouth bass and yellow perch. Take it as the county picture rather than a promise for this water. The shape of Lac Cecile decides where the fish sit.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Between January at about -15°C and July at about 18°C, the water has a wide range to work through. The middle months are generous; the ends are demanding. The open season starts with the thaw, near enough late April. Break-up sits around late April on average, with the water closing again about late November. The shoulder weeks of the open season are the productive ones. It sets the rhythm of the year at Lac Cecile.

• Tackle & Baits

  The paperwork position is blank for this one. It formed naturally, so levels move with rainfall rather than with a gate. Mapping is blank for access, so scout the approach before committing the car. Bass water: a Texas-rigged worm near cover, a spinnerbait when you need to cover ground. Check locally before you travel, because a wasted drive is a long one. Some stretches are reserved and marked as such on the ground. The nearest alternative is Lac Pierre, 0.8 km out. The position on Lac Cecile is worth confirming on the day.