Lac Montjoie in Estrie: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Lac Montjoie falls in Estrie, part of Quebec. The bank is 270 metres above sea level. At some 3.29 sq km it is far too large to cover on foot in a day. The margin runs to about 11 km in total. Few waters listed in Estrie are bigger. Rock Forest sits 9.9 km from here and is the nearest stop. The big place round here is Sherbrooke, 16 km distant. It sits well inside its county, with no border complications.

• Where to Fish on Lac Montjoie

  Our records hold no depth for this water. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. Records held for Estrie cover rainbow trout, white sucker, pumpkinseed, brook trout and rainbow smelt. Read it as a county summary, not a water-by-water list. Treat Lac Montjoie as a water to read rather than to cover.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Temperature averages peak at 19°C in July and bottom out at -11°C in January. Spring and autumn carry the fishing; summer and winter test it. Count on hard cover from midwinter, and open water from mid April. In an average year the thaw lands around mid April and the freeze near early December. September and October fish steadily right up to the freeze. It sets the rhythm of the year at Lac Montjoie.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether you may fish here is not something records settle. 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. Take the rules with you rather than trusting memory. A polite question at the farm gate opens more banks than anything else. Should this one be busy, Lac de la Melasse is 1.2 km off. Check the position at Lac Montjoie before loading the car.