Fishing Lac du Trou in Lanaudière, Quebec

• Overview

  This water sits in Lanaudière, Quebec. What surrounds it is mixed forest. Surface area runs to about 7 hectares — small enough to read in one session. Saint-Michel-des-Saints is the closest town at 28 km. The big place round here is Trois-Rivières, 134 km distant. Nearest other option: Lac du Sabot a touch under 1.3 km, Lac Liby sits 2.1 km out, Lac du Violon a touch under 2.2 km, Lac du Castor sits 2.3 km out and Lac Amherst a touch under 2.8 km. No border sits close enough to matter.

• Where to Fish on Lac du Trou

  Nothing we hold settles how deep this runs. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. Records held for Lanaudière cover pumpkinseed, smallmouth bass and yellow perch. These are county-wide records, so not all of them will be in this water. Treat Lac du Trou as a water to read rather than to cover.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The warmest month averages 17°C, the coldest about -15°C. Winter shuts things down for a spell, then spring reopens them fast. Ice fishing carries the winter, and the water opens about late April. Open water usually runs from late April until about late November. September and October fish steadily right up to the freeze. Keep it in mind when planning a trip to Lac du Trou.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether the bank is open is not something our records settle. A pier 1.4 km from here gives a platform over deeper water. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. Where a permit is needed, the nearest town usually sells it. Where parking is tight, arriving early solves most problems. Failing this one, try Lac du Sabot, 1.3 km away. Check the position on Lac du Trou before loading the car.