Montreal has too many winter activity options to count, but one that might be new and exciting for adventurous travellers is ice fishing. During the peak of Quebec’s winter, you can stay at a downtown Montreal hotel like the Westin, and whether you’re an experienced fisherman or a first-timer, you’re bound to have a great time. One spot that’s climbing as a prime place to bait your prey is at the Pêche Blanche Ice Fishing Village.
“We see real fishermen, the ones who come at 7:30 a.m. and stay all day, but they’re not the norm,” Natalie Émond, vice president of marketing for Pêche Blanche Ice Fishing Village, told Montreal’s tourism blog. “It’s mostly families and tourists, people who would normally take their car and drive an hour and a half in order to go ice fishing.”
Seeing as many as 400 people on a busy weekend day, this spot might require visitors to make reservations well in advance if they’re dying to see what’s deep below the frozen port. Most of the fish you’ll catch are edible, like the perch, walleye and pike, but others, including the catfish and sturgeon, are the catch-and-release type.
Open Wednesday through Sunday from morning until night, this village attraction is sure to be a fun family visit for those staying at the Westin Montreal Hotel.