Fishing at Lac Vingt Sous, Laurentides, Quebec

• Overview

  In Quebec, Lac Vingt Sous falls inside Laurentides. The ground round it is mixed forest. The water covers some 18 hectares, so pick a bank rather than trying to cover it all. The full circuit measures close to 3.2 km on foot. Saint-Adolphe-d'Howard lies 3.5 km from the water. Morin-Heights is 11 km and Sainte-Agathe-des-Monts 13 km. The nearest edge is a long way off, so local rules apply throughout.

• Where to Fish on Lac Vingt Sous

  There is no published depth for this one, so start shallow and work out. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. 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 Vingt Sous repays a walk before the first cast.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The seasonal spread runs -14°C to 18°C. A full turn of seasons, with the strongest sport on either side of summer. Look for the thaw near late April; the fishing lifts straight after. Averages suggest open water from about late April through to roughly late November. June through September is the settled part of the year, with the shoulders busier for fish. Plan any trip to Lac Vingt Sous around it.

• Tackle & Baits

  Who may fish here is not settled in anything we hold. It formed naturally, so levels move with rainfall rather than with a gate. Public data has parking about 320 m from the shore. A pier 90 m from here gives a platform over deeper water. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. Some banks are open only from a marked point. Keep proof of licence with you rather than in the car. Lac Carre, 0.7 km away, makes the obvious fallback. For Lac Vingt Sous, the notice at the access point is the final word.