Lac de la Crosse in Lanaudière: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Lac de la Crosse is one of the Lanaudière listings for Quebec. This is rolling bush country. Small at around 4 hectares: two anglers spread out cover most of it. Nearest town is Chertsey, 6.4 km off. Then Rawdon, 13 km, and Sainte-Julienne, 13 km. Water in the same corner: Lac Taillefer at 1.4 km, Lac Jabotte roughly 1.4 km, Lac Yates at 1.5 km, Lac Beaulac roughly 2.5 km and Lac Tranquille at 2.8 km. Being near a boundary, it pays to know which side you are fishing.

• Where to Fish on Lac de la Crosse

  We hold no survey for this water; read the slope of the shoreline instead. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. Species logged across Lanaudière include pumpkinseed, smallmouth bass, yellow perch and rock bass. Species recorded across the county may be limited to a few waters. At Lac de la Crosse the water rewards a slow, careful approach.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The year swings from about -13°C in January to roughly 19°C in July. The freeze arrives properly here and holds. The lid usually sets by midwinter and gives way around late April. In an average year the thaw lands around late April and the freeze near late November. Late spring and early autumn carry the year between them. Plan any trip to Lac de la Crosse around it.

• Tackle & Baits

  The paperwork position is blank for this one. Parc régional de Kilkenny takes in this water; protected-area rules will apply. Bass water: a Texas-rigged worm near cover, a spinnerbait when you need to cover ground. Some banks are open only from a marked point. Check whether bait restrictions apply before you buy any. Lac Taillefer, 1.4 km away, makes the obvious fallback. Ask locally about Lac de la Crosse if anything is unclear.