Lac de la Femelle Fishing near Manawan, Quebec

• Overview

  Look for Lac de la Femelle in the Lanaudière part of Quebec. It stands 521 metres above sea level. Small at around 2 hectares: two anglers spread out cover most of it. On size it sits at the modest end of our Lanaudière list. Supplies mean a trip to Manawan, 27 km off. Saint-Michel-des-Saints follows at 49 km, then Rivière-Rouge at 72 km. The nearest boundary is a fair way off.

• Where to Fish on Lac de la Femelle

  Nothing in our records gives a depth for this one. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. Across Lanaudière, recorded fish include pumpkinseed, smallmouth bass and yellow perch. Records at this level tell you what is in the area. On Lac de la Femelle the obvious spot is not always the productive one.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Expect July to average close to 17°C, with January the cold end at about -16°C. Winter owns most of the year at this latitude. Once it clears, about early May, the fishing comes on quickly. Open water usually runs from early May until about mid November. The first weeks of open water and the last are the ones to plan for. Lac de la Femelle runs to that rhythm year in and year out.

• Tackle & Baits

  Public sources are silent on who controls the bank. We find no slipway, car park or made path within a short radius, so treat access as rough. Largemouth respond to soft plastics tight to cover; go weedless where the growth is heavy. Check whether a boat is allowed before you tow one. A polite question at the farm gate opens more banks than anything else. Lac Laroque sits 0.6 km off and takes the overflow. Check the position on Lac de la Femelle before loading the car.