Fishing Lac de la Poele in Lanaudière, Quebec

• Overview

  Quebec holds Lac de la Poele, in Lanaudière. The bank is 480 metres above sea level. The water covers some 53 hectares, so pick a bank rather than trying to cover it all. Shoreline comes to about 3.9 km, small enough to learn in a day. On our Lanaudière list it sits near the top for size. Saint-Michel-des-Saints lies 25 km from the water. Saint-Louis-de-Terrebonne sits 126 km out, and it is the nearest city worth the name. The nearest boundary is a fair way off.

• Where to Fish on Lac de la Poele

  Depth here is unknown, so count the lead down before committing. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. Fish documented in Lanaudière include pumpkinseed, smallmouth bass, yellow perch and rock bass. What holds for the county may not hold for this water. On Lac de la Poele that means starting tight and working out.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Climate normals give 17°C for July and -15°C for January. Open water is the exception rather than the rule here. Hard water holds through the cold months, breaking up near early May. Going by climate averages, expect open water from about early May until roughly mid November. The shoulder weeks of the open season are the productive ones. Anyone fishing Lac de la Poele regularly works to that calendar.

• Tackle & Baits

  Public data does not answer the access question here. This is a natural basin, not a dammed one. Nothing is mapped in the way of a ramp or car park within a short radius. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. Take the rules with you rather than trusting memory. Some water is controlled locally without a sign saying so. If the gate is shut, Lac Rice at 2.1 km is the nearest alternative. Confirm access to Lac de la Poele locally before you travel.