Fishing Lac Picard in Laurentides, Quebec

• Overview

  The Laurentides end of Quebec holds Lac Picard. The surface lies 415 metres up. Roughly 12 hectares: a morning covers one end, an afternoon the other. The edge runs 1.6 km or so, easy to work in an afternoon. For supplies, Ferme-Neuve is 83 km out. Gatineau is the closest city, 213 km away. No county line comes close, which keeps the paperwork simple.

• Where to Fish on Lac Picard

  Depth is unknown to us, and the shoreline is the better guide. This is a lake, so the margins and the first drop matter most. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. Records held for Laurentides cover pumpkinseed, smallmouth bass, yellow perch and brook trout. Records at county level tell you what is around, not what is stocked here. Lac Picard fishes better once you know its edges.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Averages here run 17°C at the top of summer and -17°C at the bottom of winter. Ice holds for a long stretch, so the open weeks matter more here than further south. The freeze runs deep into the year, with break-up near early May. The season between ice runs from about early May to mid November. From the thaw to midsummer the fishing improves week by week. On Lac Picard the same rules apply, with local timing.

• Tackle & Baits

  Access status is simply unknown for this water. This is a natural basin, not a dammed one. Mapping records no facilities at all near this water. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. Rules differ from one water to the next round here. Fishing rules and camping rules are set separately here. Lac des Tire-Bouchons at 1.2 km is the sensible second choice. Signs at Lac Picard carry more weight than any list.