Lac Holmes Fishing near Saint-Raphaël, Quebec

• Overview

  Lac Holmes falls in Outaouais, part of Quebec. The setting is rolling bush. By elevation it sits in the lower part of our Quebec listings. The nearest town is Saint-Raphaël, 37 km away. Further out sit Wakefield (38 km) and Shawville (45 km). Other water nearby: Lac Red Pine about 0.7 km, Lac Farm roughly 1.1 km, Lac McConnell about 1.7 km, Petit lac Shea roughly 1.7 km and Lac McCarthy about 2.3 km. The county line is nowhere near, so one local authority covers the water.

• Where to Fish on Lac Holmes

  There is no recorded depth, so work from what you can see. Bays and points beat straight shoreline every time on water like this. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. Records held for Outaouais cover pumpkinseed, yellow perch and smallmouth bass. The county list is broader than any single water. At Lac Holmes light and wind decide more than tackle does.

• Seasonal Patterns

  On the long-term average, July reads 19°C and January reads -13°C. Winter closes the water for a while, and the reopening is worth catching. Break-up comes around late April, and the run that follows is short and strong. Break-up sits around late April on average, with the water closing again about early December. Fishing peaks soon after break-up and again before the cold returns. Time your trip to Lac Holmes by conditions rather than dates.

• Tackle & Baits

  No access rule appears in what we hold. Nothing is mapped in the way of a ramp or car park within a short radius. Largemouth respond to soft plastics tight to cover; go weedless where the growth is heavy. Rules differ from one water to the next round here. Rules for boats are stricter than rules for the bank in many places. For a change of water, Lac Red Pine is 0.7 km distant. Treat Lac Holmes as unsettled until someone local tells you otherwise.