Lac Desaulniers in Lanaudière: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  The Lanaudière entry here is Lac Desaulniers, in Quebec. Height above sea level is 426 metres. The water covers around 1.52 sq km, which puts most of it out of reach from the bank. At about 6.5 km of edge, most people work one arm at a time. It ranks high for size among our Lanaudière listings. Manawan lies 26 km from the water. It is 164 km to Trois-Rivières, the nearest city. The county line is nowhere near, so one local authority covers the water.

• Where to Fish on Lac Desaulniers

  The records we hold are silent on depth, so plan to find it yourself. Bays and points beat straight shoreline every time on water like this. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. Across Lanaudière, recorded fish include pumpkinseed, smallmouth bass and yellow perch. It is the county picture; the agency list is water-specific. On Lac Desaulniers that means starting tight and working out.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Temperature averages peak at 17°C in July and bottom out at -16°C in January. Winter owns most of the year at this latitude. Count on hard cover from midwinter, and open water from early May. The water is typically free of ice between early May and mid November. The shoulder weeks of the open season are the productive ones. It sets the rhythm of the year at Lac Desaulniers.

• Tackle & Baits

  We hold no note on access for this one. Records list it as a natural water body rather than an impoundment. Nothing in the way of made access shows up nearby: no ramp, no car park, no path. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. Ask in the nearest town if you are unsure. Close seasons apply to some species and not others. Failing this one, try Lac Pactone, 3.3 km away. What applies at Lac Desaulniers may have changed since it was mapped.