Fishing at Lac Matawin, Lanaudière, Quebec

• Overview

  Lac Matawin falls in Lanaudière, part of Quebec. The country round it is spruce and muskeg from end to end. Roughly 2.79 sq km of surface: treat each bay as a water in its own right. The shoreline runs about 14 km, so it pays to pick a stretch and stay with it. It is among the larger waters listed here for Lanaudière. For supplies, Saint-Michel-des-Saints is 33 km out. The big place round here is Saint-Louis-de-Terrebonne, 131 km distant. One jurisdiction covers this water end to end.

• Where to Fish on Lac Matawin

  No figure exists for depth, so let the water show you. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. Lanaudière records list pumpkinseed, smallmouth bass, yellow perch and rock bass among the fish reported. Those are county-wide records, so not every one of them will be in this water. Fish Lac Matawin to its features, not to its size.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Climate records put July near 17°C and January near -15°C. Water stays cold even at the height of the year. The freeze runs deep into the year, with break-up near early May. Going by climate averages, expect open water from about early May until roughly mid November. The shoulder weeks of the open season are the productive ones. It sets the rhythm of the year at Lac Matawin.

• Tackle & Baits

  No access rule appears in what we hold. No dam controls it, and the level follows the season. Nothing is mapped in the way of a ramp or car park within a short radius. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. Parking space is the usual limit rather than the bank itself. Keep proof of licence with you rather than in the car. Failing this one, try Lac Malherbe, 1.6 km away. Confirm access to Lac Matawin locally before you travel.