Lac Manon in Mauricie: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  The Mauricie end of Quebec holds Lac Manon. The country here is boreal forest. With some 30 hectares of water, there is room for a boat but no need of one. The whole outline is near 4.7 km, and most of it is walkable. The closest town, Leblanc, is 56 km away. Then Weymontachie, 101 km, and Chapais, 122 km. It lies deep inside the county rather than near an edge.

• Where to Fish on Lac Manon

  Nothing in our records gives a depth for this one. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. County-wide records name northern pike, brook trout, walleye and yellow perch. County data is a starting point rather than a guarantee. The shape of Lac Manon rewards a slow walk along one bank.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Expect July to average close to 16°C, with January the cold end at about -18°C. Water stays cold even at the height of the year. Count the season from break-up, usually early May. Averages suggest open water from about early May through to roughly mid November. Look to early summer and the first cool weeks of autumn. Plan any trip to Lac Manon around it.

• Tackle & Baits

  There is no clear statement anywhere on who can fish it. 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. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. A landowner's word beats anything printed elsewhere. Rules for boats are stricter than rules for the bank in many places. For a change of water, Lac Paul is 1.5 km distant. What applies at Lac Manon may have changed since it was mapped.