Lac Manon in Côte-Nord: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Côte-Nord in Quebec is where Lac Manon sits. Around the bank it is boreal forest. It runs to roughly 43 hectares — big enough to hold fish away from the bank, small enough to learn. The full circuit measures close to 3.6 km on foot. It is high ground by Quebec standards. Supplies mean a trip to Chute-aux-Outardes, 185 km off. It is 233 km to Saguenay, the nearest city. The nearest boundary is a fair way off.

• Where to Fish on Lac Manon

  No figure exists for depth, so let the water show you. Bays and points beat straight shoreline every time on water like this. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. Records held for Côte-Nord cover logperch. Species recorded across the county may be limited to a few waters. Take Lac Manon a stretch at a time.

• Seasonal Patterns

  July is the warm end of the year here, averaging about 15°C, while January sits near -21°C. Little of the calendar is open water, so timing counts for everything. The lid arrives early and lasts until roughly mid May. Averages suggest open water from about mid May through to roughly early November. Right after break-up, and again as the nights sharpen, is when to go. That is the shape of the year on Lac Manon.

• Tackle & Baits

  No public source sets out the position on this bank. Records list it as a natural water body rather than an impoundment. No slipway, car park or made path shows up nearby in mapping, so treat access as rough. For the perch, a small jig tipped with worm, dropped along the edges, is hard to beat. Check whether a boat is allowed before you tow one. Some ground is open by custom rather than by right, so tread carefully. Failing this one, try Lac Antonio, 12 km away. The position on Lac Manon is worth confirming on the day.