Lac Ludovic in Laurentides: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Out in Laurentides, Quebec, sits Lac Ludovic. It lies 293 metres above sea level. It covers about 2 hectares, so this is small water you can walk round in under an hour. On size it sits at the modest end of our Laurentides list. Supplies mean a trip to Rivière-Rouge, 11 km off. Labelle is 24 km and La Minerve 30 km. No border sits close enough to matter.

• Where to Fish on Lac Ludovic

  Our records carry no depth, so judge it from the bank. Bays and points beat straight shoreline every time on water like this. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. Survey and observation records for Laurentides include pumpkinseed, smallmouth bass, yellow perch, brook trout and rock bass. The county list is broader than any single water. Treat Lac Ludovic as a water to read rather than to cover.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Temperature averages peak at 18°C in July and bottom out at -14°C in January. Spring and autumn carry the fishing; summer and winter test it. Once it clears, about late April, the fishing comes on quickly. The water is typically free of ice between late April and late November. Early summer and early autumn carry the open-water season. It sets the rhythm of the year at Lac Ludovic.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing on record says whether the bank is open or closed. Nothing is listed nearby for parking or launching a boat. Bass water: a Texas-rigged worm near cover, a spinnerbait when you need to cover ground. Provincial rules still apply whatever the bank status. Some water is controlled locally without a sign saying so. The nearest alternative is Lac Desjardins, 1.4 km out. For Lac Ludovic, the notice at the access point is the final word.