Fishing at Lac du Canard, Laurentides, Quebec

• Overview

  Look for Lac du Canard in Laurentides, Quebec. It sits in pine and birch country. At roughly 5 hectares, the whole thing is within casting reach of a single walk. Supplies mean a trip to Mont-Laurier, 36 km off. After that come Notre-Dame-du-Mont-Carmel at 36 km and La Minerve at 38 km. Close by you have: Lac Berneuil at 1 km, Petit lac Berneuil within 1.2 km, Lac Gardner at 1.3 km, Lac Pit within 1.7 km and Lac du Chef at 2.9 km. The nearest boundary is a fair way off.

• Where to Fish on Lac du Canard

  Depth here is unknown, so count the lead down before committing. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. Bays and points beat straight shoreline every time on water like this. Species logged across Laurentides include pumpkinseed, smallmouth bass, yellow perch and brook trout. County records show what lives in the area; the local agency holds the water-by-water list. Work Lac du Canard in sections rather than trying to cover it.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Between January at about -14°C and July at about 18°C, the water has a wide range to work through. Cold locks it up for a good stretch each year. The freeze runs deep into the year, with break-up near late April. Ice clears near late April and comes back about late November in a typical year. September and October fish steadily right up to the freeze. The season on Lac du Canard follows the weather closely.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether the bank is open is not something our records settle. Mapping shows an empty shoreline: no ramp, no jetty, no marked entry. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. Parking is often the real limit rather than the bank itself. Close seasons apply to some species and not others. Should this one be busy, Lac Berneuil is 1 km off. Where Lac du Canard is concerned, a local answer beats a written one.