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

• Overview

  The Laurentides entry here is Petit lac Malheur, in Quebec. Mixed forest runs right down to the water. It covers about 8 hectares, so this is small water you can walk round in under an hour. Mont-Laurier sits 10 km from here and is the nearest stop. For a city, Gatineau is 123 km off. Other water nearby: Lac Malheur just 1 km, Lac Michaud 1.9 km away, Lac Dorval just 2.8 km, Lac Jarvis 2.9 km away and Lac Howard just 3.2 km. The county line is nowhere near, so one local authority covers the water.

• Where to Fish on Petit lac Malheur

  Depth went unrecorded, which puts the reading back on you. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. Open biodiversity records for Laurentides list pumpkinseed, smallmouth bass, yellow perch, brook trout and rock bass. County records show what lives in the area; the local agency holds the water-by-water list. Petit lac Malheur gives up more to patience than to distance.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Climate normals give 18°C for July and -15°C for January. Winter shuts the surface down for months. Look for the thaw near late April; the fishing lifts straight after. Climate figures give an open season running late April to late November. May into June fishes hardest, and September gives a second good stretch before the lid returns. Time your trip to Petit lac Malheur by conditions rather than dates.

• Tackle & Baits

  We hold no note on access for this one. The map shows no ramp or car park nearby, so this is a walk-in water. Bass water: a Texas-rigged worm near cover, a spinnerbait when you need to cover ground. Bank access can be seasonal on ground like this. Fishing rules and camping rules are set separately here. The nearest alternative is Lac Malheur, 1 km out. Nothing here settles the position at Petit lac Malheur for certain.