Lac des Iles Fishing near Mont-Laurier, Quebec

• Overview

  Lac des Iles stands in Laurentides, Quebec. It lies 205 metres above sea level. Surface area runs to some 16.26 sq km, so a boat and a plan are both worth having. The bank runs about 56 km in total, split between open shore and sheltered corners. Size puts it in the front rank of our Laurentides list. Some 10 km away sits Mont-Laurier, the nearest settlement. The big place round here is Gatineau, 110 km distant. This one is safely inside the county line.

• Where to Fish on Lac des Iles

  Depth is unmeasured here, so let the shoreline guide you. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. Bays and points beat straight shoreline every time on water like this. Records held for Laurentides cover pumpkinseed, smallmouth bass and yellow perch. Records at county level tell you what is around, not what is stocked here. Lac des Iles repays a walk before the first cast.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Typical July readings run about 18°C; by January the average is down near -14°C. Winter closes the water for a while, and the reopening is worth catching. Count on hard cover from midwinter, and open water from late April. On average, late April opens the water and late November closes it again. Fish feed hardest at the start and the close of the open season. Lac des Iles runs to its own calendar within the local pattern.

• Tackle & Baits

  No public source sets out the position on this bank. Records list it as a natural water body rather than an impoundment. No car park, ramp or path is recorded within easy reach of the shore. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. Take the rules with you rather than trusting memory. Where the way in crosses private ground, ask first. Lac de la Maison de Pierre sits 3.2 km off and takes the overflow. None of that is settled for Lac des Iles in what we hold.