Lac Magma in Lanaudière: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  In Quebec, Lac Magma falls inside Lanaudière. Around the bank it is spruce and muskeg. At roughly 6 hectares, the whole thing is within casting reach of a single walk. Start from Manawan, 39 km down the road. Ferme-Neuve is 66 km away, with Mont-Laurier at 82 km. Also worth knowing: Lac des Quinze near enough 1.7 km, Lac Samson (2 km), Lac Weed near enough 2.5 km, Lac Quatre (2.7 km) and Lac Full near enough 3.1 km. The nearest boundary is well away, so one set of rules covers the water.

• Where to Fish on Lac Magma

  Without a survey to go on, judge depth from how the bank falls away. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. Public occurrence data for Lanaudière names pumpkinseed, smallmouth bass and yellow perch. Records at this level tell you what is in the area. Lac Magma repays a walk before the first cast.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Expect July to average close to 17°C, with January the cold end at about -16°C. Cold dominates the calendar on water this far north. The open season starts with the thaw, near enough late April. Break-up near late April, freeze-up near mid November: that is the shape of an average year. May into June fishes hardest, and September gives a second good stretch before the lid returns. Time your trip to Lac Magma by conditions rather than dates.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing on record says whether the bank is open or closed. No car park, ramp or path is recorded within easy reach of the shore. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. Check locally before you travel, because a wasted drive is a long one. Barbless rules turn up on managed water more often than not. For a change of water, Lac des Quinze is 1.7 km distant. Rules at Lac Magma are worth checking on the day.