Lac de la Baie Fishing near Saint-Donat-de-Montcalm, Quebec

• Overview

  You will find Lac de la Baie in Lanaudière, Quebec. The country round it is pine and birch from end to end. This is a pocket water of some 2 hectares, and every part of it is reachable from the bank. Most waters listed here for Lanaudière are larger. 25 km away sits Saint-Donat-de-Montcalm, the nearest town. Sainte-Béatrix lies 29 km off, Saint-Jean-de-Matha another 32 km. It lies deep inside the county rather than near an edge.

• Where to Fish on Lac de la Baie

  Depth here is unknown, so count the lead down before committing. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. This is a lake, so the margins and the first drop matter most. Reported across Lanaudière: pumpkinseed, smallmouth bass, yellow perch and rock bass. Those are county-wide records, so not every one of them will be in this water. At Lac de la Baie the water rewards a slow, careful approach.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Averages here run 18°C at the top of summer and -14°C at the bottom of winter. Fishing here follows the temperature more than the calendar. Ice fishing carries the winter, and the water opens about late April. Climate averages put the opening at about late April and the closing near late November. The weeks after the thaw and the ones before the freeze are the strongest. On Lac de la Baie the same rules apply, with local timing.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether you may fish here is not something records settle. Access points are not mapped for this water, which suits people who like quiet. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. Sort the permit out before you load the car. Where the way in crosses private ground, ask first. Failing this one, try Lac en Coeur, 0.4 km away. Nothing on Lac de la Baie should be assumed from this page alone.