Lac Serpent, Quebec: Fishing Spots and Seasons

• Overview

  In Quebec, Lac Serpent falls inside Laurentides. Everything around it is rolling bush. At about 41 hectares, a day is enough to walk the shoreline properly. Shoreline length is close to 6.8 km, and each section fishes a little differently. On our Laurentides list it sits near the top for size. Nearest town is La Minerve, 13 km off. Notre-Dame-du-Mont-Carmel follows at 23 km, then Rivière-Rouge at 28 km. The nearest boundary is well away, so one set of rules covers the water.

• Where to Fish on Lac Serpent

  Depth went unrecorded, which puts the reading back on you. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. Open biodiversity records for Laurentides list pumpkinseed, smallmouth bass, yellow perch and brook trout. County records show the wider picture rather than this one place. Read Lac Serpent for ten minutes before the first cast goes out.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Expect July near 18°C and January near -14°C on the long-run figures. Cold winters and warm summers give a wide working range. Break-up comes around late April, and the run that follows is short and strong. Open water usually runs from late April until about late November. The weeks after the thaw and the ones before the freeze are the strongest. It holds true on Lac Serpent more years than not.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing on record says whether the bank is open or closed. No dam controls it, and the level follows the season. No car park, ramp or path is recorded within easy reach of the shore. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. Provincial rules still apply whatever the bank status. Close seasons apply to some species and not others. Should this one be busy, Lac Boisvert is 1.2 km off. Where Lac Serpent is concerned, a local answer beats a written one.