Lac Paquet near Rivière-Rouge: Fishing Spots, Seasons and Access

• Overview

  The Laurentides end of Quebec holds Lac Paquet. Pine and birch runs right down to the water. This is sizeable water at about 1.06 sq km, and a boat opens up most of it. You are looking at roughly 9.0 km of shoreline, with plenty of water between access points. It ranks high for size among our Laurentides listings. Supplies mean a trip to Rivière-Rouge, 4.1 km off. Beyond it, La Minerve at 16 km and Labelle at 19 km. This one is safely inside the county line.

• Where to Fish on Lac Paquet

  We hold no depth figure for this one. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. Public occurrence data for Laurentides names pumpkinseed, smallmouth bass and yellow perch. Records at county level tell you what is around, not what is stocked here. Work Lac Paquet in sections rather than trying to cover it.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The range across the year is -14°C to 18°C. Cold winters and warm summers give a wide working range. Ice fishing carries the winter, and the water opens about late April. On the long-run averages the water opens up around late April and starts locking again about late November. Spring is short and heavy here; autumn is longer and steadier. Plan around that when you fish Lac Paquet.

• Tackle & Baits

  The rules here are undocumented as far as public sources go. Records list it as a natural water body rather than an impoundment. Access points are not mapped for this water, which suits people who like quiet. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. Some banks are open only from a marked point. Where parking is tight, arriving early solves most problems. Lac Boileau sits 1.2 km off and takes the overflow. For Lac Paquet in particular, ask before you travel.