Petit lac MacMallan in Laurentides: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  The Laurentides end of Quebec holds Petit lac MacMallan. The water sits 320 metres up. This is a pocket water of some 7 hectares, and every part of it is reachable from the bank. Notre-Dame-du-Mont-Carmel lies 24 km from the water. Ripon is 39 km away, with La Minerve at 40 km. Within a short run: Lac Jocelyne about 0.5 km, Lac Dorion some 1.3 km off, Lac Fernet about 1.6 km, Lac Vion some 2 km off and Lac Cottenin about 2 km. No boundary runs near, so the local rules hold throughout.

• Where to Fish on Petit lac MacMallan

  No depth figure has reached our records, which makes a plummet useful. This is a lake, so the margins and the first drop matter most. 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. At Petit lac MacMallan the first feature you find is worth twenty minutes.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The year swings from about -14°C in January to roughly 18°C in July. Expect a real winter and a strong spring after it. Count on hard cover from midwinter, and open water from late April. Ice usually gives way near late April, and forms again about late November. Right after break-up, and again as the nights sharpen, is when to go. Keep it in mind when planning a trip to Petit lac MacMallan.

• Tackle & Baits

  Our records carry no access rule either way. Mapping shows no built access close by; expect to walk in from wherever you can leave the car. Bass water: a Texas-rigged worm near cover, a spinnerbait when you need to cover ground. Read any posted signs at the access point rather than assuming. Fishing rules and camping rules are set separately here. Lac Jocelyne, 0.5 km away, makes the obvious fallback. Check the current arrangement for Petit lac MacMallan.