Lac Hamelin Fishing near Mont-Laurier, Quebec

• Overview

  The Outaouais entry here is Lac Hamelin, in Quebec. The water sits 219 metres up. With some 13 hectares of water, there is room for a boat but no need of one. The full circuit measures close to 1.3 km on foot. By elevation it sits in the lower part of our Quebec listings. Mont-Laurier sits 20 km from the bank. The nearest city of size is Gatineau, 106 km away. The nearest edge is a long way off, so local rules apply throughout.

• Where to Fish on Lac Hamelin

  No published figure covers depth, so learn it as you fish. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. Bays and points beat straight shoreline every time on water like this. Across Outaouais, recorded fish include pumpkinseed, yellow perch and smallmouth bass. Species recorded across the county may be limited to a few waters. At Lac Hamelin the water rewards a slow, careful approach.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The year swings from about -14°C in January to roughly 18°C in July. Hard water is a season in its own right here. Count on hard cover from midwinter, and open water from late April. Averages suggest open water from about late April through to roughly late November. Reckon on open water from spring through to late autumn, with May and June the strongest. Lac Hamelin runs to that rhythm year in and year out.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether the bank is open is not something our records settle. No dam controls it, and the level follows the season. 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. Season dates differ by species, so read the table. Where parking is tight, arriving early solves most problems. For a change of water, Lac de l'Ile is 0.9 km distant. For Lac Hamelin, the notice at the access point is the final word.