Lac du Soleil in Lanaudière: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Lac du Soleil is set in Lanaudière, Quebec. The water sits 489 metres up. The water measures roughly 4 hectares, so nothing here is far from anything else. 21 km away sits Mandeville, the nearest town. It is 81 km to Trois-Rivières, the nearest city. Round about: Lac Lecanteur at 0.4 km, Lac Perdu 0.9 km, Lac Edouin at 1.2 km, Lac Capricorne 1.7 km and Lac du Zenith at 1.8 km. The nearest edge is a long way off, so local rules apply throughout.

• Where to Fish on Lac du Soleil

  There is no recorded depth, so work from what you can see. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. Open biodiversity records for Lanaudière list pumpkinseed, smallmouth bass, yellow perch, rock bass and brook trout. The county figures include rivers and lakes alike. Lac du Soleil gives up its fish to patience rather than distance.

• Seasonal Patterns

  July is the warm end of the year here, averaging about 17°C, while January sits near -15°C. Winter closes the water for a while, and the reopening is worth catching. Look for the thaw near late April; the fishing lifts straight after. On average, late April opens the water and late November closes it again. The open run goes from the thaw to the freeze, and April through October covers most of it. Time your trip to Lac du Soleil by conditions rather than dates.

• Tackle & Baits

  No public source sets out the position on this bank. Mapping is blank for access, so scout the approach before committing the car. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. Rules differ from one water to the next round here. Fishing rules and camping rules are set separately here. Should this one be busy, Lac Lecanteur is 0.4 km off. The position on Lac du Soleil is worth confirming on the day.