Fishing at Lac de la Montagne, Lanaudière, Quebec

• Overview

  In Quebec, Lac de la Montagne belongs to Lanaudière. Around the bank it is northern bush. It covers about 8 hectares, so this is small water you can walk round in under an hour. Supplies mean a trip to Manawan, 43 km off. Ferme-Neuve lies 90 km off, Weymontachie another 99 km. Also worth knowing: Lac de la Vase at 3.2 km, Lac Bay a touch under 3.7 km, Lac Paiement at 4.4 km, Lac Kam a touch under 4.6 km and Lac Blaze at 5.5 km. No boundary runs near, so the local rules hold throughout.

• Where to Fish on Lac de la Montagne

  Our records carry no depth, so judge it from the bank. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. Reported across Lanaudière: pumpkinseed, smallmouth bass, yellow perch and rock bass. It is the county picture; the agency list is water-specific. Treat Lac de la Montagne as a water to read rather than to cover.

• Seasonal Patterns

  On the long-term average, July reads 17°C and January reads -16°C. The season is measured in weeks rather than months. After early May the shallows warm and the fish move up. Average temperatures cross freezing around early May in spring and again near mid November in autumn. Fishing peaks soon after break-up and again before the cold returns. It sets the rhythm of the year at Lac de la Montagne.

• Tackle & Baits

  Access is not recorded for this water. We find no slipway, car park or made path within a short radius, so treat access as rough. 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. Fishing rules and camping rules are set separately here. Failing this one, try Lac de la Vase, 3.2 km away. For Lac de la Montagne in particular, ask before you travel.