Lac des Molenes, Quebec: Fishing Spots and Seasons

• Overview

  Lac des Molenes sits in Laurentides, out in Quebec. The ground round it is lake country bush. Supplies mean a trip to La Minerve, 10 km off. It is 91 km to Orléans, the nearest city. Close by you also have: Lac Guilbault within 0.6 km, Lac Etroit near enough 0.8 km, Lac Messas within 1.3 km, Lac Flagey near enough 1.6 km and Lac Wah-Hoo within 1.7 km. It lies deep inside the county rather than near an edge.

• Where to Fish on Lac des Molenes

  No published figure covers depth, so learn it as you fish. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. Records held for Laurentides cover pumpkinseed, smallmouth bass, yellow perch and brook trout. The county list is broader than any single water. Lac des Molenes repays a walk before the first cast.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Average temperature peaks around 18°C in July and bottoms out near -14°C in January. Four clear seasons, with a proper winter at one end. After late April the shallows warm and the fish move up. In an average year the thaw lands around late April and the freeze near late November. Early summer and early autumn carry the open-water season. It holds true on Lac des Molenes more years than not.

• Tackle & Baits

  We hold no note on access for this one. 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. Rules differ from one water to the next round here. Where the way in crosses private ground, ask first. For a change of water, Lac Guilbault is 0.6 km distant. Treat access at Lac des Molenes as something to verify.