Lac Long Fishing near Manawan, Quebec

• Overview

  Lac Long sits in Laurentides, out in Quebec. This is pine and birch country. Small at around 4 hectares: two anglers spread out cover most of it. It is a small entry by Laurentides standards. For a base, Ferme-Neuve sits 50 km out. For a city, Saint-Louis-de-Terrebonne is 159 km off. It sits well inside its county, with no border complications.

• Where to Fish on Lac Long

  No published figure covers depth, so learn it as you fish. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. Across Laurentides, recorded fish include pumpkinseed, smallmouth bass, yellow perch and brook trout. These are county-wide records, so not all of them will be in this water. Anyone new to Lac Long should walk it once before setting up.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Temperature averages peak at 17°C in July and bottom out at -16°C in January. Seasons are distinct, and each one fishes differently. Ice-out usually falls in early May, and the weeks after it fish hardest. Expect the water usable from around early May until roughly mid November. September and October fish steadily right up to the freeze. Lac Long runs to that rhythm year in and year out.

• Tackle & Baits

  Our records carry no access rule either way. Access is unmapped, which usually means a farm track and a walk. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. Provincial rules still apply whatever the bank status. Keep proof of licence with you rather than in the car. Lac Donat at 2 km is the sensible second choice. For Lac Long in particular, ask before you travel.