Fishing Lac Cholet in Lanaudière, Quebec

• Overview

  The Lanaudière end of Quebec holds Lac Cholet. It lies 462 metres above sea level. It covers about 5 hectares, so this is small water you can walk round in under an hour. Nearest place of any size is Saint-Michel-des-Saints, 31 km away. Further out sit Manawan (49 km) and Saint-Donat-de-Montcalm (52 km). Alternatives close at hand: Lac Ginson 0.4 km away, Lac Equier at 0.8 km, Lac Pegot 1.1 km away, Lac Larobel at 1.9 km and Lac Bonnefons 2 km away. One jurisdiction covers this water end to end.

• Where to Fish on Lac Cholet

  No published figure covers depth, so learn it as you fish. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. Records held for Lanaudière cover pumpkinseed, smallmouth bass, yellow perch and rock bass. Read it as a county summary, not a water-by-water list. The shape of Lac Cholet decides where the fish sit.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Long-run averages give July about 17°C and January about -15°C. This far north the hard season runs and runs. Ice-out usually falls in early May, and the weeks after it fish hardest. Climate figures give an open season running early May to mid November. From the thaw to midsummer the fishing improves week by week. The season on Lac Cholet rarely departs from it.

• Tackle & Baits

  The paperwork position is blank for this one. No built facilities appear in mapping around this water. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. Ask in the nearest town if you are unsure. Where tickets apply, they are sold in the nearest town rather than on the bank. The nearest alternative is Lac Ginson, 0.4 km out. Check the position on Lac Cholet before loading the car.