Lac Longpre Fishing Guide, Lanaudière, Quebec

• Overview

  In Quebec, Lac Longpre falls inside Lanaudière. It sits at 421 metres above sea level. This is sizeable water at about 1.91 sq km, and a boat opens up most of it. The margin runs to about 20 km in total. Size puts it in the front rank of our Lanaudière list. The closest town, Saint-Michel-des-Saints, is 48 km away. Manawan is 52 km away, with La Tuque at 81 km. Rules here are straightforward: one set of provincial rules.

• Where to Fish on Lac Longpre

  Depth is unknown to us, and the shoreline is the better guide. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. Bays and points beat straight shoreline every time on water like this. Records held for Lanaudière cover pumpkinseed, smallmouth bass, yellow perch and rock bass. These are county-wide records, so not all of them will be in this water. On Lac Longpre the obvious spot is not always the productive one.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The year swings from about -16°C in January to roughly 17°C in July. A full turn of seasons, with the strongest sport on either side of summer. Ice fishing carries the winter, and the water opens about early May. The open-water window runs from around early May to about mid November in an average year. The middle of summer slows a little, with dawn and dusk carrying it. Plan any trip to Lac Longpre around it.

• Tackle & Baits

  Access status is simply unknown for this water. This is a natural basin, not a dammed one. Nothing built is recorded close to the bank here. Largemouth respond to soft plastics tight to cover; go weedless where the growth is heavy. Where access is informal, keep it that way by behaving. Some stretches are reserved and marked as such on the ground. Lac Noir sits 1.7 km off and takes the overflow. Rules at Lac Longpre are worth checking on the day.