Lac de la Montagne Fishing near Saint-Donat-de-Montcalm, Quebec

• Overview

  Lac de la Montagne is set in Lanaudière, Quebec. The bank is 410 metres above sea level. It covers about 4 hectares, so this is small water you can walk round in under an hour. The town to know is Saint-Donat-de-Montcalm, 21 km out. Sainte-Béatrix is 30 km away, with Chertsey at 31 km. It sits well inside its county, with no border complications.

• Where to Fish on Lac de la Montagne

  Depth went unrecorded, which puts the reading back on you. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. Fish documented in Lanaudière include pumpkinseed, smallmouth bass, yellow perch and rock bass. County data is a starting point rather than a guarantee. Lac de la Montagne repays a walk before the first cast.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Temperature averages peak at 18°C in July and bottom out at -14°C in January. The season turns properly here, and fish follow it closely. The lid arrives early and lasts until roughly late April. Averages suggest open water from about late April through to roughly late November. The middle of summer slows a little, with dawn and dusk carrying it. It holds true on Lac de la Montagne more years than not.

• Tackle & Baits

  Access status is simply unknown for this water. There is no recorded infrastructure here; expect to find your own way in. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. Where a permit is needed, the nearest town usually sells it. Where the way in crosses private ground, ask first. Failing this one, try Lac Creux, 0.8 km away. Where Lac de la Montagne is concerned, a local answer beats a written one.