Fishing Lac McEwen in Laurentides, Quebec

• Overview

  The Laurentides entry here is Lac McEwen, in Quebec. It stands 272 metres above sea level. It covers about 2 hectares, so this is small water you can walk round in under an hour. It is one of the smaller waters we list in Laurentides. The town to know is L'Orignal, 11 km out. Further out sit Hawkesbury (12 km) and Brownsburg-Chatham (16 km). It sits near the edge of the county, so check which rules apply.

• Where to Fish on Lac McEwen

  Our records carry no depth, so judge it from the bank. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. Records held for Laurentides cover pumpkinseed, smallmouth bass, yellow perch, brook trout and rock bass. The county list is broader than any single water. Fish Lac McEwen to its features, not to its size.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The year swings from about -12°C in January to roughly 19°C in July. Winter puts a hard lid on this one. The freeze runs deep into the year, with break-up near late April. Averages suggest open water from about late April through to roughly early December. Fish feed hardest at the start and the close of the open season. It holds true on Lac McEwen more years than not.

• Tackle & Baits

  No public source sets out the position on this bank. No launch point is recorded nearby, so this is a bank water unless you carry a boat in. Largemouth respond to soft plastics tight to cover; go weedless where the growth is heavy. Read any posted signs at the access point rather than assuming. Keep proof of licence with you rather than in the car. Should this one be busy, Lac Belley is 2 km off. For Lac McEwen, the notice at the access point is the final word.