Fishing at Lac des Patineurs, Lanaudière, Quebec

• Overview

  Look for Lac des Patineurs in the Lanaudière part of Quebec. The surroundings are lake country bush. Surface area runs to about 2 hectares — small enough to read in one session. Our Lanaudière list holds plenty of bigger water. Saint-Michel-des-Saints at 27 km is the nearest place to stop. Mandeville lies 30 km off, Saint-Gabriel another 35 km. It sits well inside its county, with no border complications.

• Where to Fish on Lac des Patineurs

  No published figure covers depth, so learn it as you fish. Bays and points beat straight shoreline every time on water like this. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. County-wide records name pumpkinseed, smallmouth bass, yellow perch and rock bass. The county figures include rivers and lakes alike. Read Lac des Patineurs for ten minutes before the first cast goes out.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The seasonal spread runs -15°C to 17°C. A hard winter is normal, and the thaw brings a strong few weeks. The lid usually sets by midwinter and gives way around late April. The water is typically free of ice between late April and late November. May into June fishes hardest, and September gives a second good stretch before the lid returns. Lac des Patineurs fishes to that pattern most years.

• Tackle & Baits

  We have no record of the rules that apply on this bank. Access points are not mapped for this water, which suits people who like quiet. 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. Barbless rules turn up on managed water more often than not. Lac des Nymphes sits 1 km off and takes the overflow. What applies at Lac des Patineurs may have changed since it was mapped.