Lac Manville in Mauricie: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Lac Manville sits in Mauricie, out in Quebec. Land around it is boreal forest. Surface area runs to roughly 9.09 sq km, so plan for one area rather than the whole. There is roughly 44 km of bank, and each arm behaves like its own water. It ranks high for size among our Mauricie listings. For supplies, Manawan is 62 km out. Saint-Louis-de-Terrebonne is the closest city, 221 km away. The nearest edge is a long way off, so local rules apply throughout.

• Where to Fish on Lac Manville

  No chart reached our records; the first cast is your sounding. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. Mauricie records list northern pike, brook trout, walleye and yellow perch among the fish reported. The county figures include rivers and lakes alike. On Lac Manville the quiet end is the one worth the extra effort.

• Seasonal Patterns

  July runs about 17°C on average, January about -16°C. This is a two-season water: locked, then wide open. Break-up comes around early May, and the run that follows is short and strong. Break-up sits around early May on average, with the water closing again about mid November. From the thaw to midsummer the fishing improves week by week. It holds true on Lac Manville more years than not.

• Tackle & Baits

  Access is not recorded for this water. It formed naturally, so levels move with rainfall rather than with a gate. 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. Ask in the nearest town if you are unsure. Signs go up and come down, so check on the day. Should this one be busy, Lac Hispano is 2.7 km off. Check the position on Lac Manville before loading the car.