Lac des Bardanes, Quebec: Fishing Spots and Seasons

• Overview

  This water sits in Mauricie, Quebec. The country round it is lake country bush from end to end. About 6 hectares of surface, which puts the far bank inside easy sight. The closest town, Saint-Élie-de-Caxton, is 25 km away. The big place round here is Trois-Rivières, 58 km distant. Also on the doorstep: Lac de la Mousse within 1 km, Lac Brodeur just 1.1 km, Lac Effile within 1.8 km, Lac Shawinigan just 1.9 km and Lac Gelinas within 2.1 km. No border sits close enough to matter.

• Where to Fish on Lac des Bardanes

  Depth figures are not published for this one. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. Species logged across Mauricie include northern pike, brook trout, walleye, yellow perch and white sucker. These are county-wide records, so not all of them will be in this water. Read Lac des Bardanes for ten minutes before the first cast goes out.

• Seasonal Patterns

  July runs about 18°C on average, January about -15°C. A hard winter is normal, and the thaw brings a strong few weeks. The lid arrives early and lasts until roughly late April. Climate averages put the opening at about late April and the closing near late November. The middle of summer slows a little, with dawn and dusk carrying it. Anyone fishing Lac des Bardanes regularly works to that calendar.

• Tackle & Baits

  Access status is simply unknown for this water. Mapping shows a jetty some 1.2 km off. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. Take the rules with you rather than trusting memory. Barbless rules turn up on managed water more often than not. Failing this one, try Lac de la Mousse, 1 km away. Rules at Lac des Bardanes are worth checking on the day.