Lac Jeanrie near Saint-Donat-de-Montcalm: Fishing Spots, Seasons and Access

• Overview

  Lac Jeanrie sits within Lanaudière in Quebec. It sits in mixed forest country. The water covers some 10 hectares, so pick a bank rather than trying to cover it all. About 1.6 km of bank, so nothing stays unexplored for long. It is high ground by Quebec standards. Head to Saint-Donat-de-Montcalm, 21 km away, for anything you forgot. The nearest city of size is Saint-Louis-de-Terrebonne, 96 km away. Rules here are straightforward: one set of provincial rules.

• Where to Fish on Lac Jeanrie

  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. County-wide records name pumpkinseed, smallmouth bass, yellow perch, rock bass and brook trout. Those are county-wide records, so not every one of them will be in this water. Anyone new to Lac Jeanrie should walk it once before setting up.

• Seasonal Patterns

  July runs about 17°C on average, January about -15°C. A solid cap is the normal state through winter. The freeze runs deep into the year, with break-up near early May. On average, early May opens the water and mid November closes it again. The open run goes from the thaw to the freeze, and April through October covers most of it. Keep it in mind when planning a trip to Lac Jeanrie.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether you may fish here is not something records settle. Records list it as a natural water body rather than an impoundment. There is no mapped parking or launch close by, which usually means walking in. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. A phone call first saves an afternoon. Barbless rules turn up on managed water more often than not. Lac Bowden at 1.1 km is the sensible second choice. Nothing on Lac Jeanrie should be assumed from this page alone.