Fishing at Lac Croche, Laurentides, Quebec

• Overview

  Lac Croche lies in Laurentides, in Quebec. It sits at 310 metres above sea level. Surface area is around 13 hectares, which gives you real water without needing a boat. Shoreline comes to about 1.9 km, small enough to learn in a day. 5.6 km away sits Lac-Simon, the nearest town. La Conception is 6.8 km and Mont-Tremblant 18 km. It lies deep inside the county rather than near an edge.

• Where to Fish on Lac Croche

  Our records carry no depth, so judge it from the bank. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. This is a lake, so the margins and the first drop matter most. Across Laurentides, recorded fish include pumpkinseed, smallmouth bass, yellow perch and brook trout. Records at this level tell you what is in the area. Read Lac Croche for ten minutes before the first cast goes out.

• Seasonal Patterns

  July is the warm end of the year here, averaging about 18°C, while January sits near -14°C. Cold winters and warm summers give a wide working range. Winter fishing happens on the ice here, with open water back around late April. Break-up near late April, freeze-up near late November: that is the shape of an average year. Spring is short and heavy here; autumn is longer and steadier. That is the shape of the year on Lac Croche.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether the bank is open is not something our records settle. It formed naturally, so levels move with rainfall rather than with a gate. Facilities run to toilets 1.1 km from the water. Bass water: a Texas-rigged worm near cover, a spinnerbait when you need to cover ground. A landowner's word beats anything printed elsewhere. Signs go up and come down, so check on the day. Should this one be busy, Lac Renversis is 0.8 km off. The position on Lac Croche is worth confirming on the day.