Lac Deschenes, Quebec: Fishing Spots and Seasons

• Overview

  Lac Deschenes is one of the Laurentides listings for Quebec. The bank is 229 metres above sea level. Surface area is around 43 hectares, which gives you real water without needing a boat. Around 3.8 km of margin, front to back. On our Laurentides list it sits near the top for size. The nearest town is Ferme-Neuve, 37 km away. Gatineau is the closest city, 172 km away. The nearest boundary is a fair way off.

• Where to Fish on Lac Deschenes

  No chart reached our records; the first cast is your sounding. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. County-wide records name pumpkinseed, smallmouth bass, yellow perch and brook trout. Take it as the county picture rather than a promise for this water. Work Lac Deschenes in sections rather than trying to cover it.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Expect July near 18°C and January near -16°C on the long-run figures. The middle months are generous; the ends are demanding. Ice fishing carries the winter, and the water opens about late April. On average, late April opens the water and late November closes it again. Just after the ice goes and just before it returns, the fishing lifts. Lac Deschenes runs to that rhythm year in and year out.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing on record says whether the bank is open or closed. It formed naturally, so levels move with rainfall rather than with a gate. No made access appears within a short radius, so plan to park on a verge and walk. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. Check whether a boat is allowed before you tow one. Some ground is open by custom rather than by right, so tread carefully. For a change of water, Petit lac du Butor is 1.3 km distant. Confirm before you fish Lac Deschenes.