Fishing at Lac des Moustiques, Lanaudière, Quebec

• Overview

  In Quebec, Lac des Moustiques falls inside Lanaudière. The country here is rolling bush. Small at around 5 hectares: two anglers spread out cover most of it. For a base, Saint-Michel-des-Saints sits 20 km out. Beyond it, Mandeville at 44 km and Saint-Gabriel at 49 km. The nearest boundary is well away, so one set of rules covers the water.

• Where to Fish on Lac des Moustiques

  Depth is unmeasured here, so let the shoreline guide you. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. Records held for Lanaudière cover pumpkinseed, smallmouth bass, yellow perch, rock bass and brook trout. County records show the wider picture rather than this one place. On Lac des Moustiques the obvious spot is not always the productive one.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Seasonal averages run from -15°C in January up to 17°C in July. The middle months are generous; the ends are demanding. Firm cover through the cold months, then open water from early May. Averages place the thaw at early May and the freeze at late November. Reckon on open water from spring through to late autumn, with May and June the strongest. Lac des Moustiques runs to that rhythm year in and year out.

• Tackle & Baits

  Who may fish here is not settled in anything we hold. Nothing is mapped in the way of a ramp or car park within a short radius. Largemouth respond to soft plastics tight to cover; go weedless where the growth is heavy. Gates get locked out of season on water like this. Where the way in crosses private ground, ask first. Lac du Frelon sits 0.5 km off and takes the overflow. For Lac des Moustiques in particular, ask before you travel.