Fishing at Lac Kerrigan, Laurentides, Quebec

• Overview

  Lac Kerrigan sits within Laurentides in Quebec. The surface lies 380 metres up. At 1.10 sq km this is proper open water rather than a pond. The shoreline runs about 17 km, so it pays to pick a stretch and stay with it. Few waters listed in Laurentides are bigger. The nearest place of any size is Ferme-Neuve, 79 km away. Mont-Laurier is 94 km away, with Saint-Boniface at 99 km. The nearest boundary is well away, so one set of rules covers the water.

• Where to Fish on Lac Kerrigan

  No chart reached our records; the first cast is your sounding. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. Bays and points beat straight shoreline every time on water like this. Records held for Laurentides cover pumpkinseed, smallmouth bass, yellow perch, brook trout and rock bass. The list covers the county rather than this water alone, so treat it as a guide. Work Lac Kerrigan in sections rather than trying to cover it.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Averages move between -17°C in January and 17°C in July. This is a two-season water: locked, then wide open. Firm cover through the cold months, then open water from early May. Average temperatures cross freezing around early May in spring and again near mid November in autumn. Early summer and early autumn carry the open-water season. Keep it in mind when planning a trip to Lac Kerrigan.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether you may fish here is not something records settle. This is a natural basin, not a dammed one. No built facilities appear in mapping around this water. Bass water: a Texas-rigged worm near cover, a spinnerbait when you need to cover ground. Ask in the nearest town if you are unsure. A polite question at the farm gate opens more banks than anything else. Lac de la Vieille Chaloupe at 0.7 km is the sensible second choice. Treat Lac Kerrigan as unsettled until someone local tells you otherwise.