Fishing at Lac Valin, Laurentides, Quebec

• Overview

  Lac Valin lies in Laurentides, in Quebec. It sits in spruce and muskeg. It covers about 7 hectares, so this is small water you can walk round in under an hour. Ferme-Neuve at 74 km is the nearest place to stop. After that come Saint-Boniface at 84 km and Mont-Laurier at 86 km. In the same area: Lac Trow at about 2.4 km, Lac Elan at 3.6 km, Lac Genest at about 4.7 km, Lac Needle at 5.1 km and Lac de la Tendresse des Betes at about 5.3 km. No boundary runs near, so the local rules hold throughout.

• Where to Fish on Lac Valin

  Depth went unrecorded, which puts the reading back on you. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. Bays and points beat straight shoreline every time on water like this. Species logged across Laurentides include pumpkinseed, smallmouth bass, yellow perch, brook trout and rock bass. What holds for the county may not hold for this water. Lac Valin gives up its fish to patience rather than distance.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Averages move between -17°C in January and 17°C in July. The window is narrow, and fish feed hard while it lasts. Look for the thaw near early May; the fishing lifts straight after. Climate averages put the opening at about early May and the closing near mid November. September and October fish steadily right up to the freeze. Keep it in mind when planning a trip to Lac Valin.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing in our records says who may fish here. Access is unmapped, which usually means a farm track and a walk. Largemouth respond to soft plastics tight to cover; go weedless where the growth is heavy. Ask in the nearest town if you are unsure. Night access is frequently treated as a separate matter. If the gate is shut, Lac Trow at 2.4 km is the nearest alternative. For Lac Valin, the notice at the access point is the final word.