Lac Houades in Laurentides: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Lac Houades stands in Laurentides, Quebec. What surrounds it is taiga. Surface area is around 11 hectares, which gives you real water without needing a boat. A shoreline of some 1.9 km keeps the choices simple. Manawan lies 69 km from the water. Ferme-Neuve lies 79 km off, Mont-Laurier another 96 km. Other water nearby: Lac Forget about 1.3 km, Lac Ransom within 2.1 km, Lac Pump about 2.4 km, Lac Colgan within 3 km and Lac Landanet about 4.1 km. There is no boundary nearby to worry about.

• Where to Fish on Lac Houades

  Without a survey to go on, judge depth from how the bank falls away. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. Species logged across Laurentides include pumpkinseed, smallmouth bass, yellow perch, brook trout and rock bass. Records at this level tell you what is in the area. Treat Lac Houades as a water to read rather than to cover.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Expect July near 17°C and January near -16°C on the long-run figures. A short, intense season is the rule this far north. Hard cover is dependable here; it goes around early May. On average, early May opens the water and mid November closes it again. May into June fishes hardest, and September gives a second good stretch before the lid returns. At Lac Houades the season follows that pattern closely.

• Tackle & Baits

  Our records carry no access rule either way. Records list it as a natural water body rather than an impoundment. No made access appears within a short radius, so plan to park on a verge and walk. 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. Night access is frequently treated as a separate matter. Lac Forget sits 1.3 km off and takes the overflow. Treat Lac Houades as unsettled until someone local tells you otherwise.