Lac Santerre, Quebec: Fishing Spots and Seasons

• Overview

  Out in Laurentides, Quebec, sits Lac Santerre. The ground around here is boreal forest. The water covers some 13 hectares, so pick a bank rather than trying to cover it all. Bank access stretches around 2.0 km in total. For supplies, Ferme-Neuve is 83 km out. It is 210 km to Gatineau, the nearest city. The nearest edge is a long way off, so local rules apply throughout.

• Where to Fish on Lac Santerre

  No chart reached our records; the first cast is your sounding. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. County-wide records name pumpkinseed, smallmouth bass, yellow perch, brook trout and rock bass. It is the county picture; the agency list is water-specific. At Lac Santerre the water rewards a slow, careful approach.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Seasonal averages run from -17°C in January up to 17°C in July. Water stays cold even at the height of the year. The lid arrives early and lasts until roughly early May. Break-up near early May, freeze-up near mid November: that is the shape of an average year. Right after break-up, and again as the nights sharpen, is when to go. It holds true on Lac Santerre more years than not.

• Tackle & Baits

  We have no record of the rules that apply on this bank. Records list it as a natural water body rather than an impoundment. Access is unmapped, which usually means a farm track and a walk. 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. Access can change hands, so last year's answer may not hold. The nearest alternative is Lac Bertrand, 1.1 km out. For Lac Santerre, the notice at the access point is the final word.