Lac Chauvin in Laurentides: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  The Laurentides end of Quebec holds Lac Chauvin. It stands 323 metres above sea level. Small at around 8 hectares: two anglers spread out cover most of it. La Minerve lies 27 km from the water. Orléans is the closest city, 96 km away. Within a short run: Lac Ahern 0.7 km, Lac Jeanne at 1 km, Lac Gour 1.1 km, Lac Harvey at 1.6 km and Lac Fappier 1.6 km. It lies deep inside the county rather than near an edge.

• Where to Fish on Lac Chauvin

  Depth is not on record here, which means reading the ground instead. 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. Survey and observation records for Laurentides include pumpkinseed, smallmouth bass and yellow perch. County data is a starting point rather than a guarantee. Read Lac Chauvin for ten minutes before the first cast goes out.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Seasonal averages run from -14°C in January up to 18°C in July. A solid cap is the normal state through winter. After late April the shallows warm and the fish move up. Ice clears near late April and comes back about late November in a typical year. The strongest runs come at either end of the open season. That shapes the year on Lac Chauvin.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether the bank is open is not something our records settle. Access points are not mapped for this water, which suits people who like quiet. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. Rules for this water may differ from the county norm. Barbless rules turn up on managed water more often than not. Lac Ahern at 0.7 km is the sensible second choice. Nothing here settles the position at Lac Chauvin for certain.