Fishing Lac de l'Appel in Laurentides, Quebec

• Overview

  Lac de l'Appel is set in Laurentides, Quebec. Land around it is rolling bush. Roughly 10 hectares: a morning covers one end, an afternoon the other. Compared with other Quebec water on our list, it sits high. Saint-Donat-de-Montcalm is the closest town at 12 km. The big place round here is Saint-Louis-de-Terrebonne, 76 km distant. The county edge is within a short distance of the bank.

• Where to Fish on Lac de l'Appel

  No depth figure has reached our records, which makes a plummet useful. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. Laurentides records list pumpkinseed, smallmouth bass and yellow perch among the fish reported. Records at this level tell you what is in the area. The shape of Lac de l'Appel decides where the fish sit.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Average temperature peaks around 17°C in July and bottoms out near -15°C in January. A solid cap is the normal state through winter. The lid usually sets by midwinter and gives way around early May. Going by climate averages, expect open water from about early May until roughly mid November. The open run goes from the thaw to the freeze, and April through October covers most of it. Lac de l'Appel runs to that rhythm year in and year out.

• Tackle & Baits

  No access rule appears in what we hold. No built facilities appear in mapping around this water. Bass water: a Texas-rigged worm near cover, a spinnerbait when you need to cover ground. Gates get locked out of season on water like this. Where parking is tight, arriving early solves most problems. Failing this one, try Lac d'Enfant, 1.9 km away. For Lac de l'Appel, the notice at the access point is the final word.