Lac Long in Laurentides: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  In Quebec, Lac Long belongs to Laurentides. Elevation runs to 317 metres. It runs to roughly 28 hectares — big enough to hold fish away from the bank, small enough to learn. On our Laurentides list it sits near the top for size. The closest town, La Conception, is 17 km away. Saint-Adolphe-d'Howard lies 18 km off, Mont-Tremblant another 19 km. It sits well inside the county, so one set of rules covers it.

• Where to Fish on Lac Long

  There is no published depth for this one, so start shallow and work out. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. Across Laurentides, recorded fish include pumpkinseed, smallmouth bass, yellow perch and brook trout. County records show what lives in the area; the local agency holds the water-by-water list. At Lac Long the water rewards a slow, careful approach.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The warm month here averages 18°C; the cold one sits at -14°C. Hard water is a season in its own right here. Hard water holds through the cold months, breaking up near late April. Ice clears near late April and comes back about late November in a typical year. The first weeks of open water and the last are the ones to plan for. Time your trip to Lac Long by conditions rather than dates.

• Tackle & Baits

  The rules here are undocumented as far as public sources go. Mapping records no facilities at all near this water. Largemouth respond to soft plastics tight to cover; go weedless where the growth is heavy. Rules for this water may differ from the county norm. Fishing rules and camping rules are set separately here. Lac Castor, 1.3 km away, makes the obvious fallback. Check the position at Lac Long before loading the car.