Fishing Lac Wester in Laurentides, Quebec

• Overview

  Laurentides in Quebec is where Lac Wester sits. Height above sea level is 309 metres. At 8 hectares it is the sort of place you fish for an evening rather than a day. Mont-Laurier lies 27 km from the water. The big place round here is Orléans, 96 km distant. Also on the doorstep: Lac Archie 1.4 km away, Lac Louise at 2.2 km, Lac Mitchell 2.5 km away, Lac Poulin at 2.6 km and Lac Archet 2.8 km away. The nearest boundary is a fair way off.

• Where to Fish on Lac Wester

  No figure exists for depth, so let the water show you. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. Across Laurentides, recorded fish include pumpkinseed, smallmouth bass, yellow perch, brook trout and rock bass. The county list is broader than any single water. On Lac Wester the first feature you find is usually worth a session.

• Seasonal Patterns

  In an average year July sits at 18°C and January at -14°C. Seasons are distinct, and each one fishes differently. Break-up comes around late April, and the run that follows is short and strong. In an average year the thaw lands around late April and the freeze near late November. Early summer and early autumn carry the open-water season. Plan around that when you fish Lac Wester.

• Tackle & Baits

  Access status is simply unknown for this water. Nothing built is recorded close to the bank here. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. Check locally before you travel, because a wasted drive is a long one. Signs go up and come down, so check on the day. Failing this one, try Lac Archie, 1.4 km away. For Lac Wester, the notice at the access point is the final word.