Lac Forbes in Laurentides: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Lac Forbes sits within Laurentides in Quebec. The setting is spruce and muskeg on every side. The water measures roughly 8 hectares, so nothing here is far from anything else. Ferme-Neuve sits 66 km from the bank. After that come Mont-Laurier at 82 km and Saint-Boniface at 91 km. More in the same country: Lac Millan at 1.8 km, Lac Hanson within 2.2 km, Lac Holme at 2.5 km, Lac Girard within 2.5 km and Lac Kim at 2.8 km. There is no boundary nearby to worry about.

• Where to Fish on Lac Forbes

  No published figure covers depth, so learn it as you fish. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. Records held for Laurentides cover pumpkinseed, smallmouth bass and yellow perch. The county list is broader than any single water. At Lac Forbes the first feature you find is worth twenty minutes.

• Seasonal Patterns

  On the long-term average, July reads 17°C and January reads -17°C. Winter owns most of the year at this latitude. Winter locks it down, and early May brings it back. Average temperatures cross freezing around early May in spring and again near mid November in autumn. The open run goes from the thaw to the freeze, and April through October covers most of it. Plan any trip to Lac Forbes around it.

• Tackle & Baits

  We hold no note on access for this one. Mapping is blank for access, so scout the approach before committing the car. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. A phone call first saves an afternoon. Where tickets apply, they are sold in the nearest town rather than on the bank. The nearest alternative is Lac Millan, 1.8 km out. Signs at Lac Forbes carry more weight than any list.