Lac Croche Fishing near Sainte-Marguerite-du-Lac-Masson, Quebec

• Overview

  Lac Croche is a Laurentides water, Quebec side. The country here is pine and birch. It runs to roughly 50 hectares — big enough to hold fish away from the bank, small enough to learn. There is roughly 7.5 km of bank, more than one visit can cover properly. Few waters listed in Laurentides are bigger. Sainte-Marguerite-du-Lac-Masson lies 6.3 km from the water. After that come Chertsey at 8.9 km and Saint-Hippolyte at 15 km. Being near a boundary, it pays to know which side you are fishing.

• Where to Fish on Lac Croche

  Depth went unrecorded, which puts the reading back on you. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. Species logged across Laurentides include pumpkinseed, smallmouth bass, yellow perch and brook trout. County records show what lives in the area; the local agency holds the water-by-water list. On Lac Croche the first feature you find is usually worth a session.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Expect July to average close to 18°C, with January the cold end at about -13°C. Winter puts a hard lid on this one. Winter fishing happens on the ice here, with open water back around late April. From about late April to around late November, expect open water on the long-run figures. Fishing peaks soon after break-up and again before the cold returns. Expect Lac Croche to follow that timing.

• Tackle & Baits

  Access status is simply unknown for this water. Records list it as a natural water body rather than an impoundment. Mapping is blank for access, so scout the approach before committing the car. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. Where the road in crosses private land, ask first. Where the way in crosses private ground, ask first. For a change of water, Lac Paradis is 0.9 km distant. What applies at Lac Croche may have changed since it was mapped.