Fishing at Lac Hop, Lanaudière, Quebec

• Overview

  Within Lanaudière, Quebec, you have Lac Hop. The surroundings are spruce and muskeg. Surface area is around 46 hectares, which gives you real water without needing a boat. About 3.5 km of bank, so nothing stays unexplored for long. Few waters listed in Lanaudière are bigger. For supplies, Manawan is 28 km out. Weymontachie is 91 km and Ferme-Neuve 93 km. No border sits close enough to matter.

• Where to Fish on Lac Hop

  Depth is unmeasured here, so let the shoreline guide you. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. Records held for Lanaudière cover pumpkinseed, smallmouth bass, yellow perch, rock bass and brook trout. County records show what lives in the area; the local agency holds the water-by-water list. Fish Lac Hop to its features, not to its size.

• Seasonal Patterns

  July runs about 17°C on average, January about -16°C. Winter owns most of the year at this latitude. Break-up comes around early May, and the run that follows is short and strong. From about early May to around mid November, expect open water on the long-run figures. Fish feed hardest at the start and the close of the open season. Lac Hop runs to its own calendar within the local pattern.

• Tackle & Baits

  Who may fish here is not settled in anything we hold. This is a natural basin, not a dammed one. The map shows no ramp or car park nearby, so this is a walk-in water. Bass water: a Texas-rigged worm near cover, a spinnerbait when you need to cover ground. Look for a notice board at the entrance. Signs go up and come down, so check on the day. Failing this one, try Lac du Becasseau, 1.1 km away. Check the position on Lac Hop before loading the car.