Lac Menard Fishing near Rivière-Rouge, Quebec

• Overview

  Set in Laurentides, Lac Menard is a Quebec water. The country round it is pine and birch from end to end. It sits higher than most water we list in Quebec. Rivière-Rouge lies 32 km from the water. Saint-Louis-de-Terrebonne is the closest city, 142 km away. Also worth knowing: 0.7 km out stands Lac Marguerite, Lac Desmarais 0.9 km away, 1.5 km out stands Lac Hiya, Lac Perdu 2.3 km away and 2.3 km out stands Lac Racicot. There is no boundary nearby to worry about.

• Where to Fish on Lac Menard

  The records we hold are silent on depth, so plan to find it yourself. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. Species logged across Laurentides include pumpkinseed, smallmouth bass, yellow perch, brook trout and rock bass. These are county-wide records, so not all of them will be in this water. On Lac Menard that means starting tight and working out.

• Seasonal Patterns

  In an average year July sits at 17°C and January at -15°C. Winter closes the water for a while, and the reopening is worth catching. Count the season from break-up, usually late April. Open water usually runs from late April until about late November. Look to early summer and the first cool weeks of autumn. The season on Lac Menard follows the weather closely.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing on record says whether the bank is open or closed. No made access is recorded, so a short walk in is the likely arrangement. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. Gates get locked out of season on water like this. Close seasons apply to some species and not others. If the gate is shut, Lac Marguerite at 0.7 km is the nearest alternative. The position on Lac Menard is worth confirming on the day.