Lac Joce in Laurentides: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Laurentides, Quebec, is where Lac Joce sits. The bank is 489 metres above sea level. At 9 hectares it is the sort of place you fish for an evening rather than a day. The full circuit measures close to 2.3 km on foot. Nearest town is Rivière-Rouge, 38 km off. The big place round here is Saint-Louis-de-Terrebonne, 143 km distant. The nearest boundary is well away, so one set of rules covers the water.

• Where to Fish on Lac Joce

  Depth here is unknown, so count the lead down before committing. This is a lake, so the margins and the first drop matter most. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. Across Laurentides, recorded fish include pumpkinseed, smallmouth bass, yellow perch and brook trout. What holds for the county may not hold for this water. Take Lac Joce a stretch at a time.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Expect July near 17°C and January near -16°C on the long-run figures. Cold dominates the year and the fishing works around it. Break-up comes around early May, and the run that follows is short and strong. On average, early May opens the water and mid November closes it again. The first weeks of open water and the last are the ones to plan for. Keep it in mind when planning a trip to Lac Joce.

• Tackle & Baits

  Our records carry no access rule either way. This is a natural basin, not a dammed one. Public mapping records no formal access here, so plan for a walk and soft ground. Bass water: a Texas-rigged worm near cover, a spinnerbait when you need to cover ground. Rules for this water may differ from the county norm. Where parking is tight, arriving early solves most problems. If the gate is shut, Lac Inconnu at 1.1 km is the nearest alternative. Treat Lac Joce as unsettled until someone local tells you otherwise.