Fishing Lac Cedar in Lanaudière, Quebec

• Overview

  Lanaudière, Quebec, is where Lac Cedar sits. It sits at 412 metres above sea level. It measures about 28 hectares, which is a comfortable size for bank fishing. There is roughly 3.9 km of shoreline here, which is a short walk end to end. Manawan sits 31 km from the bank. Then Saint-Michel-des-Saints, 60 km, and Weymontachie, 78 km. Rules here are straightforward: one set of provincial rules.

• Where to Fish on Lac Cedar

  No chart reached our records; the first cast is your sounding. 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. Lanaudière records list pumpkinseed, smallmouth bass, yellow perch and rock bass among the fish reported. These are county-wide records, so not all of them will be in this water. On Lac Cedar the quiet end is the one worth the extra effort.

• Seasonal Patterns

  July runs about 17°C on average, January about -16°C. The ice season is long here and the open one short. The freeze runs deep into the year, with break-up near early May. The water is typically free of ice between early May and mid November. The open run goes from the thaw to the freeze, and April through October covers most of it. Lac Cedar fishes to that pattern most years.

• Tackle & Baits

  There is no clear statement anywhere on who can fish it. This is a natural basin, not a dammed one. The map shows no ramp or car park nearby, so this is a walk-in water. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. Season dates differ by species, so read the table. Signs go up and come down, so check on the day. Lac de la Morula at 1.5 km is the sensible second choice. Where Lac Cedar is concerned, a local answer beats a written one.