Lac Winnetou in Laurentides: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  You will find Lac Winnetou in Laurentides, Quebec. The country here is pine and birch. At 5 hectares it is the sort of place you fish for an evening rather than a day. La Conception is the closest town at 15 km. Lac-Simon follows at 16 km, then Mont-Tremblant at 24 km. Water in the same corner: 0.8 km away is Lac Brosseau, Lac de la Boussois within 1.1 km, 2 km away is Petit lac Sinclair, Lac Cannon within 2.1 km and 2.3 km away is Grand lac Sinclair. This one is safely inside the county line.

• Where to Fish on Lac Winnetou

  Nothing we hold settles how deep this runs. This is a lake, so the margins and the first drop matter most. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. Laurentides records list pumpkinseed, smallmouth bass, yellow perch, brook trout and rock bass among the fish reported. Those are county-wide records, so not every one of them will be in this water. Lac Winnetou gives up its fish to patience rather than distance.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Between January at about -14°C and July at about 18°C, the water has a wide range to work through. Winter closes the water for a while, and the reopening is worth catching. The freeze runs deep into the year, with break-up near late April. Averages place the thaw at late April and the freeze at late November. The open run goes from the thaw to the freeze, and April through October covers most of it. On Lac Winnetou that shapes the whole year.

• Tackle & Baits

  Public sources are silent on who controls the bank. No built facilities appear in mapping around this water. Largemouth respond to soft plastics tight to cover; go weedless where the growth is heavy. Take the rules with you rather than trusting memory. Access can change hands, so last year's answer may not hold. Should this one be busy, Lac Brosseau is 0.8 km off. Confirm access to Lac Winnetou locally before you travel.