Lac Pope near Mont-Laurier: Fishing Spots, Seasons and Access

• Overview

  Lac Pope lies in Laurentides, in Quebec. The setting is lake country bush. At 2.55 sq km this is proper open water rather than a pond. At about 18 km of edge, most people work one arm at a time. Few waters listed in Laurentides are bigger. For a base, Mont-Laurier sits 16 km out. Ferme-Neuve lies 22 km off, Saint-Boniface another 25 km. The nearest edge is a long way off, so local rules apply throughout.

• Where to Fish on Lac Pope

  There is no recorded depth, so work from what you can see. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. County-wide records name pumpkinseed, smallmouth bass, yellow perch, brook trout and rock bass. Records at this level tell you what is in the area. Lac Pope fishes better once you know its edges.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The seasonal spread runs -15°C to 18°C. A solid cap is the normal state through winter. Ice-out usually falls in late April, and the weeks after it fish hardest. Break-up sits around late April on average, with the water closing again about late November. Reckon on open water from spring through to late autumn, with May and June the strongest. The season on Lac Pope rarely departs from it.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing in our records says who may fish here. This is a natural basin, not a dammed one. A made slipway is 480 m from here, which settles the boat question. Bass water: a Texas-rigged worm near cover, a spinnerbait when you need to cover ground. A landowner's word beats anything printed elsewhere. Keep proof of licence with you rather than in the car. Lac Howard sits 2.2 km off and takes the overflow. The position on Lac Pope is worth confirming on the day.