Lac Gilberte in Laurentides: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Lac Gilberte is a Laurentides water, Quebec side. Beyond the shoreline you have mixed forest. At roughly 8 hectares, the whole thing is within casting reach of a single walk. Labelle lies 22 km from the water. Beyond it, Rivière-Rouge at 23 km and Mont-Tremblant at 25 km. Nearby alternatives: Lac Bryan 1 km, Lac Harry 1 km off, Lac Gravel 1.6 km, Lac a Bebert 1.6 km off and Lac Lafine 1.8 km. There is no boundary nearby to worry about.

• Where to Fish on Lac Gilberte

  No depth figure has reached our records, which makes a plummet useful. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. Open biodiversity records for Laurentides list pumpkinseed, smallmouth bass and yellow perch. The county list is broader than any single water. Lac Gilberte gives up more to patience than to distance.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Expect July to average close to 17°C, with January the cold end at about -15°C. Cold winters and warm summers give a wide working range. The lid usually goes in late April, which opens the strongest weeks of the year. The lid tends to go about late April and return around late November. From the thaw to midsummer the fishing improves week by week. Lac Gilberte fishes to that pattern most years.

• Tackle & Baits

  We have no record of the rules that apply on this bank. No car park, ramp or path is recorded within easy reach of the shore. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. Bank access can be seasonal on ground like this. Keep proof of licence with you rather than in the car. Lac Bryan, 1 km away, makes the obvious fallback. Ask locally about Lac Gilberte if anything is unclear.