Petit lac du Cerf, Quebec: Fishing Spots and Seasons

• Overview

  Out in Laurentides, Quebec, sits Petit lac du Cerf. It lies 210 metres above sea level. Roughly 3.44 sq km of surface: treat each bay as a water in its own right. Size puts it in the front rank of our Laurentides list. Head to Mont-Laurier, 29 km away, for anything you forgot. Gatineau sits 91 km out, and it is the nearest city worth the name. It lies deep inside the county rather than near an edge.

• Where to Fish on Petit lac du Cerf

  Depth here is unknown, so count the lead down before committing. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. Species logged across Laurentides include pumpkinseed, smallmouth bass and yellow perch. Species recorded across the county may be limited to a few waters. The near bank of Petit lac du Cerf is often the one people ignore.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The range across the year is -14°C to 19°C. Cold locks it up for a good stretch each year. Winter fishing happens on the ice here, with open water back around late April. Expect the water usable from around late April until roughly late November. May into June fishes hardest, and September gives a second good stretch before the lid returns. Expect Petit lac du Cerf to follow that timing.

• Tackle & Baits

  Who may fish here is not settled in anything we hold. Access points are not mapped for this water, which suits people who like quiet. 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. Close seasons apply to some species and not others. Lac de la Sucrerie, 1 km away, makes the obvious fallback. Signs at Petit lac du Cerf carry more weight than any list.