Lac Miserable Fishing Guide, Laurentides, Quebec

• Overview

  Lac Miserable sits within Laurentides in Quebec. Land around it is rolling bush. With some 22 hectares of water, there is room for a boat but no need of one. The bank runs about 2.5 km all the way round, so one visit can cover most of it. Notre-Dame-du-Mont-Carmel is the closest town at 29 km. The nearest city of size is Orléans, 86 km away. No border sits close enough to matter.

• Where to Fish on Lac Miserable

  There is no recorded depth, so work from what you can see. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. Fish documented in Laurentides include pumpkinseed, smallmouth bass and yellow perch. What holds for the county may not hold for this water. The shape of Lac Miserable rewards a slow walk along one bank.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The warm month here averages 18°C; the cold one sits at -14°C. The season turns properly here, and fish follow it closely. Count the season from break-up, usually late April. The lid tends to go about late April and return around late November. May into June fishes hardest, and September gives a second good stretch before the lid returns. On Lac Miserable the same rules apply, with local timing.

• Tackle & Baits

  There is no clear statement anywhere on who can fish it. Records list it as a natural water body rather than an impoundment. Nothing built is recorded close to the bank here. Largemouth respond to soft plastics tight to cover; go weedless where the growth is heavy. A phone call first saves an afternoon. Close seasons apply to some species and not others. The nearest alternative is Petit lac Miserable, 1.1 km out. For Lac Miserable in particular, ask before you travel.