Lac de la Clef Fishing near Manawan, Quebec

• Overview

  Out in Lanaudière, Quebec, sits Lac de la Clef. Height above sea level is 498 metres. The water measures roughly 7 hectares, so nothing here is far from anything else. Nearest town is Manawan, 24 km off. After that come Saint-Michel-des-Saints at 46 km and Saint-Donat-de-Montcalm at 82 km. Rules here are straightforward: one set of provincial rules.

• Where to Fish on Lac de la Clef

  No published figure covers depth, so learn it as you fish. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. County-wide records name pumpkinseed, smallmouth bass, yellow perch and rock bass. What holds for the county may not hold for this water. Fish Lac de la Clef to its features, not to its size.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Temperature averages peak at 17°C in July and bottom out at -16°C in January. Open water is the exception rather than the rule here. Ice fishing carries the winter, and the water opens about early May. The lid tends to go about early May and return around mid November. Reckon on open water from spring through to late autumn, with May and June the strongest. That is the shape of the year on Lac de la Clef.

• Tackle & Baits

  No access rule appears in what we hold. There is no mapped parking or launch close by, which usually means walking in. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. Look for a notice board at the entrance. Some ground is open by custom rather than by right, so tread carefully. For a change of water, Lac Yvon is 1.2 km distant. Check the position at Lac de la Clef before loading the car.