Lac Pistolet, Quebec: Fishing Spots and Seasons

• Overview

  Within Laurentides, Quebec, you have Lac Pistolet. The water sits 367 metres up. The water covers some 35 hectares, so pick a bank rather than trying to cover it all. With about 4.2 km of edge, you can try several depths in one session. It is among the larger waters listed here for Laurentides. Nearest town is Ferme-Neuve, 52 km off. For a city, Gatineau is 181 km off. No county line comes close, which keeps the paperwork simple.

• Where to Fish on Lac Pistolet

  Depth is unknown to us, and the shoreline is the better guide. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. Open biodiversity records for Laurentides list pumpkinseed, smallmouth bass, yellow perch and brook trout. Take it as the county picture rather than a promise for this water. At Lac Pistolet the first feature you find is worth twenty minutes.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The warm month here averages 17°C; the cold one sits at -16°C. Winter shuts the surface down for months. Count the season from break-up, usually late April. Open water usually runs from late April until about late November. The shoulder weeks of the open season are the productive ones. On Lac Pistolet the same rules apply, with local timing.

• Tackle & Baits

  No public source sets out the position on this bank. No dam controls it, and the level follows the season. The map shows no ramp or car park nearby, so this is a walk-in water. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. Where a permit is needed, the nearest town usually sells it. Where the way in crosses private ground, ask first. If the gate is shut, Lac du Queteux at 1.5 km is the nearest alternative. Where Lac Pistolet is concerned, a local answer beats a written one.