Lac Chantal Fishing near Saint-Adolphe-d'Howard, Quebec

• Overview

  Lac Chantal sits within Laurentides in Quebec. The surroundings are rolling bush. The whole thing is a single swim; walk it in a minute. It is a small entry by Laurentides standards. You are 2.3 km from Saint-Adolphe-d'Howard. Then Sainte-Agathe-des-Monts, 11 km, and Morin-Heights, 11 km. Neighbouring water: Lac Huguette a shade over 0.7 km, Lac Long about 1.2 km, Lac Cusson a shade over 1.2 km, Lac Carre about 1.4 km and Lac a Foin a shade over 1.5 km. There is no boundary nearby to worry about.

• Where to Fish on Lac Chantal

  No depth figure appears in our records, so the bank has to tell you. 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. Laurentides records list pumpkinseed, smallmouth bass and yellow perch among the fish reported. The list covers the county rather than this water alone, so treat it as a guide. Work Lac Chantal in sections rather than trying to cover it.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Between January at about -14°C and July at about 18°C, the water has a wide range to work through. A full turn of seasons, with the strongest sport on either side of summer. Ice fishing carries the winter, and the water opens about late April. Ice usually gives way near late April, and forms again about late November. June through September is the settled part of the year, with the shoulders busier for fish. Lac Chantal runs to that rhythm year in and year out.

• Tackle & Baits

  The access position is unclear from public sources. A pier or jetty stands 1.4 km away, which helps on a crowded bank. Largemouth respond to soft plastics tight to cover; go weedless where the growth is heavy. Where access is informal, keep it that way by behaving. Night access is frequently treated as a separate matter. Lac Huguette sits 0.7 km off and takes the overflow. Confirm before you fish Lac Chantal.