Lac Croche Fishing near Mandeville, Quebec

• Overview

  Look for Lac Croche in Lanaudière, Quebec. Height above sea level is 368 metres. It measures about 38 hectares, which is a comfortable size for bank fishing. There is roughly 4.7 km of shoreline here, which is a short walk end to end. On our Lanaudière list it sits near the top for size. The closest town, Mandeville, is 13 km away. The nearest city of size is Trois-Rivières, 74 km away. One jurisdiction covers this water end to end.

• Where to Fish on Lac Croche

  No published figure covers depth, so learn it as you fish. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. Reported across Lanaudière: pumpkinseed, smallmouth bass, yellow perch and rock bass. Species recorded across the county may be limited to a few waters. Work Lac Croche in sections rather than trying to cover it.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The warm month here averages 18°C; the cold one sits at -14°C. Winter shuts the surface down for months. Ice fishing carries the winter, and the water opens about late April. The lid tends to go about late April and return around late November. The strongest runs come at either end of the open season. Plan around that when you fish Lac Croche.

• Tackle & Baits

  No public source sets out the position on this bank. Records list it as a natural water body rather than an impoundment. Public mapping records no formal access here, so plan for a walk and soft ground. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. Rules differ from one water to the next round here. Some water is controlled locally without a sign saying so. Failing this one, try Lac Wa, 1.1 km away. None of that is settled for Lac Croche in what we hold.