Fishing Lac O'Masta in Laurentides, Quebec

• Overview

  Set in Laurentides, Lac O'Masta is a Quebec water. Land around it is mixed forest. This is a pocket water of some 7 hectares, and every part of it is reachable from the bank. Mont-Laurier sits 22 km from here and is the nearest stop. Orléans is the closest city, 122 km away. Others within reach: Lac a la Truite within 1.8 km, Lac Laroque at 2 km, Lac Marshall within 3 km, Lac Long at 3.4 km and Lac Brunet within 4.3 km. It sits well inside its county, with no border complications.

• Where to Fish on Lac O'Masta

  Depth here is unknown, so count the lead down before committing. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. Bays and points beat straight shoreline every time on water like this. Records held for Laurentides cover pumpkinseed, smallmouth bass, yellow perch, brook trout and rock bass. It is the county picture; the agency list is water-specific. On Lac O'Masta the quiet end is the one worth the extra effort.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Typical July readings run about 18°C; by January the average is down near -15°C. A solid cap is the normal state through winter. Winter locks it down, and late April brings it back. The season between ice runs from about late April to late November. September and October fish steadily right up to the freeze. Anyone fishing Lac O'Masta regularly works to that calendar.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing on record says whether the bank is open or closed. We find no slipway, car park or made path within a short radius, so treat access as rough. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. Read any posted signs at the access point rather than assuming. Signs go up and come down, so check on the day. Failing this one, try Lac a la Truite, 1.8 km away. Check the position on Lac O'Masta before loading the car.