Fishing at Lac Cotton, Laurentides, Quebec

• Overview

  Look for Lac Cotton in Laurentides, Quebec. The surface lies 254 metres up. Surface area runs to about 8 hectares — small enough to read in one session. The nearest town is La Minerve, 13 km away. Orléans is the closest city, 103 km away. Within a short run: Lac Ida after 0.9 km, Lac Lesage roughly 2.1 km, Lac Francoise after 2.2 km, Lac Edouard roughly 2.6 km and Lac Goulet after 2.7 km. It lies deep inside the county rather than near an edge.

• Where to Fish on Lac Cotton

  No figure exists for depth, so let the water show you. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. Records held for Laurentides cover pumpkinseed, smallmouth bass, yellow perch, brook trout and rock bass. Take it as the county picture rather than a promise for this water. Anyone new to Lac Cotton should walk it once before setting up.

• Seasonal Patterns

  July runs about 18°C on average, January about -14°C. Expect a real winter and a strong spring after it. The freeze runs deep into the year, with break-up near late April. Break-up near late April, freeze-up near late November: that is the shape of an average year. Just after the ice goes and just before it returns, the fishing lifts. Lac Cotton runs to that rhythm year in and year out.

• Tackle & Baits

  Access is not recorded for this water. 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. Some banks are open only from a marked point. Access can change hands, so last year's answer may not hold. Should this one be busy, Lac Ida is 0.9 km off. Rules at Lac Cotton are worth checking on the day.