Lac Colombon in Laurentides: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  The Laurentides end of Quebec holds Lac Colombon. It sits at 454 metres above sea level. About 5 hectares of surface, which puts the far bank inside easy sight. Rivière-Rouge is the closest town at 32 km. Labelle is 37 km and Saint-Donat-de-Montcalm 38 km. Also worth knowing: Lac Cinq Doigts 1.9 km, 2.4 km out stands Lac Toba, Lac Jamet 2.5 km, 2.5 km out stands Lac Therrien and Lac Prunier 2.7 km. There is no boundary nearby to worry about.

• Where to Fish on Lac Colombon

  Without a survey to go on, judge depth from how the bank falls away. This is a lake, so the margins and the first drop matter most. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. County-wide records name pumpkinseed, smallmouth bass, yellow perch and brook trout. Species recorded across the county may be limited to a few waters. The near bank of Lac Colombon is often the one people ignore.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Expect July near 17°C and January near -15°C on the long-run figures. The fishing year opens late and shuts early. The freeze runs deep into the year, with break-up near early May. Averages suggest open water from about early May through to roughly mid November. June through September is the settled part of the year, with the shoulders busier for fish. The season on Lac Colombon follows the weather closely.

• Tackle & Baits

  The rules here are undocumented as far as public sources go. The water borders Parc de récréation du Mont-Tremblant, so reserve rules are likely to apply. Bass water: a Texas-rigged worm near cover, a spinnerbait when you need to cover ground. Season dates differ by species, so read the table. Close seasons apply to some species and not others. Should this one be busy, Lac Cinq Doigts is 1.9 km off. What applies at Lac Colombon may have changed since it was mapped.