Fishing at Lac Forbes, Lanaudière, Quebec

• Overview

  Lac Forbes falls in Lanaudière, part of Quebec. It stands 414 metres above sea level. It measures some 8.70 sq km, and wind has room to build across it. With about 32 km of shoreline, local advice saves a lot of walking. Few waters listed in Lanaudière are bigger. 21 km away sits Saint-Donat-de-Montcalm, the nearest town. Saint-Michel-des-Saints is 28 km away, with Mont-Tremblant at 44 km. No county line comes close, which keeps the paperwork simple.

• Where to Fish on Lac Forbes

  No depth figure appears in our records, so the bank has to tell you. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. This is a lake, so the margins and the first drop matter most. Open biodiversity records for Lanaudière list pumpkinseed, smallmouth bass, yellow perch and rock bass. The county list is broader than any single water. Lac Forbes fishes better once you know its edges.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Expect July to average close to 17°C, with January the cold end at about -15°C. Winter puts a hard lid on this one. Break-up comes around late April, and the run that follows is short and strong. Ice usually gives way near late April, and forms again about late November. The strong weeks are the first after break-up and the last before the freeze. Anyone fishing Lac Forbes regularly works to that calendar.

• Tackle & Baits

  Who may fish here is not settled in anything we hold. It formed naturally, so levels move with rainfall rather than with a gate. Mapping shows no built access close by; expect to walk in from wherever you can leave the car. Bass water: a Texas-rigged worm near cover, a spinnerbait when you need to cover ground. Where a permit is needed, the nearest town usually sells it. Close seasons apply to some species and not others. Lac du Centre sits 2.5 km off and takes the overflow. The position on Lac Forbes is worth confirming on the day.