Lac Desmarais Fishing near Rivière-Rouge, Quebec

• Overview

  Lac Desmarais lies in Laurentides, Quebec. This is mixed forest ground. The water measures roughly 5 hectares, so nothing here is far from anything else. It is high ground by Quebec standards. Nearest place of any size is Rivière-Rouge, 32 km away. Ferme-Neuve is 39 km away, with Mont-Laurier at 46 km. One jurisdiction covers this water end to end.

• Where to Fish on Lac Desmarais

  Depth remains unrecorded, so treat the first session as a survey. This is a lake, so the margins and the first drop matter most. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. County-wide records name pumpkinseed, smallmouth bass and yellow perch. Those are county-wide records, so not every one of them will be in this water. The shape of Lac Desmarais decides where the fish sit.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Expect July to average close to 17°C, with January the cold end at about -15°C. Expect a real winter and a strong spring after it. Hard cover is dependable here; it goes around late April. Ice usually gives way near late April, and forms again about late November. The strongest runs come at either end of the open season. It holds true on Lac Desmarais more years than not.

• Tackle & Baits

  Who may fish here is not settled in anything we hold. No made access is recorded, so a short walk in is the likely arrangement. 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. Signs go up and come down, so check on the day. If the gate is shut, Lac Menard at 0.9 km is the nearest alternative. Signs at Lac Desmarais carry more weight than any list.