Lac Paul Fishing Guide, Laurentides, Quebec

• Overview

  Lac Paul lies in Laurentides, in Quebec. Beyond the shoreline you have mixed forest. About 8 hectares of surface, which puts the far bank inside easy sight. Supplies mean a trip to La Minerve, 8.2 km off. Then Labelle, 11 km, and Rivière-Rouge, 12 km. Others close at hand: 0.7 km out stands Lac Anita, 0.8 km away is Lac Marie-Louise, 1.4 km out stands Lac Brule, 1.5 km away is Lac Wade and 2 km out stands Lac Nantel. It lies deep inside the county rather than near an edge.

• Where to Fish on Lac Paul

  There is no published depth for this one, so start shallow and work out. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. Fish documented in Laurentides include pumpkinseed, smallmouth bass, yellow perch, brook trout and rock bass. Records at county level tell you what is around, not what is stocked here. On Lac Paul the first feature you find is usually worth a session.

• Seasonal Patterns

  On the long-term average, July reads 18°C and January reads -14°C. Winter shuts the surface down for months. The open season starts with the thaw, near enough late April. The season between ice runs from about late April to late November. May into June fishes hardest, and September gives a second good stretch before the lid returns. Plan around that when you fish Lac Paul.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether you may fish here is not something records settle. No made access appears within a short radius, so plan to park on a verge and walk. Largemouth respond to soft plastics tight to cover; go weedless where the growth is heavy. Where a permit is needed, the nearest town usually sells it. Signs go up and come down, so check on the day. The nearest alternative is Lac Anita, 0.7 km out. Ask locally about Lac Paul if anything is unclear.