Fishing Lac Chopin in Laurentides, Quebec

• Overview

  Look for Lac Chopin in Laurentides, Quebec. It lies 254 metres above sea level. At some 4.55 sq km it is far too large to cover on foot in a day. Shoreline length is close to 22 km, and each section fishes a little differently. Few waters listed in Laurentides are bigger. Supplies mean a trip to Ferme-Neuve, 41 km off. The big place round here is Gatineau, 179 km distant. This one is safely inside the county line.

• Where to Fish on Lac Chopin

  We hold no survey for this water; read the slope of the shoreline instead. This is a lake, so the margins and the first drop matter most. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. Across Laurentides, recorded fish include pumpkinseed, smallmouth bass, yellow perch, brook trout and rock bass. Records at this level tell you what is in the area. Lac Chopin fishes better once you know its edges.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Long-run averages give July about 18°C and January about -16°C. Cold locks it up for a good stretch each year. Count on hard cover from midwinter, and open water from late April. Expect the water usable from around late April until roughly late November. The open run goes from the thaw to the freeze, and April through October covers most of it. The season on Lac Chopin follows the weather closely.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing in our records says who may fish here. Records list it as a natural water body rather than an impoundment. Public data records a pier about 790 m out. Largemouth respond to soft plastics tight to cover; go weedless where the growth is heavy. Check whether a boat is allowed before you tow one. Some ground is open by custom rather than by right, so tread carefully. Failing this one, try Petit lac Gorman, 2 km away. Confirm access to Lac Chopin locally before you travel.