Fishing at Lac de la Tuque, Laurentides, Quebec

• Overview

  Lac de la Tuque belongs to Laurentides, Quebec. It lies 327 metres above sea level. At 7 hectares it is the sort of place you fish for an evening rather than a day. 2.2 km away sits La Conception, the nearest town. For a city, Saint-Louis-de-Terrebonne is 84 km off. More in the same country: Lac Auger within 0.8 km, Lac d'Argent after 1.6 km, Lac Lamoureux within 2.4 km, Lac Duhamel after 2.6 km and Lac Gareau within 2.6 km. The county line is nowhere near, so one local authority covers the water.

• Where to Fish on Lac de la Tuque

  No depth figure has reached our records, which makes a plummet useful. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. Records held for Laurentides cover pumpkinseed, smallmouth bass, yellow perch, brook trout and rock bass. The list covers the county rather than this water alone, so treat it as a guide. The shape of Lac de la Tuque rewards a slow walk along one bank.

• Seasonal Patterns

  On the long-term average, July reads 18°C and January reads -14°C. Cold winters and warm summers give a wide working range. Look for the thaw near late April; the fishing lifts straight after. Averages place the thaw at late April and the freeze at late November. September and October fish steadily right up to the freeze. That is the shape of the year on Lac de la Tuque.

• Tackle & Baits

  The rules here are undocumented as far as public sources go. Mapping records no facilities at all near this water. Bass water: a Texas-rigged worm near cover, a spinnerbait when you need to cover ground. Provincial rules still apply whatever the bank status. Rules for boats are stricter than rules for the bank in many places. Lac Auger at 0.8 km is the sensible second choice. Treat Lac de la Tuque as unsettled until someone local tells you otherwise.