Fishing at Lac Mesnil, Laurentides, Quebec

• Overview

  Look for Lac Mesnil in Laurentides, Quebec. Elevation runs to 483 metres. At 2 hectares it is the sort of place you fish for an evening rather than a day. On size it sits at the modest end of our Laurentides list. Manawan sits 44 km from here and is the nearest stop. The nearest city of size is Saint-Louis-de-Terrebonne, 140 km away. This one is safely inside the county line.

• Where to Fish on Lac Mesnil

  Without a survey to go on, judge depth from how the bank falls away. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. Reported across Laurentides: pumpkinseed, smallmouth bass, yellow perch and brook trout. Species recorded across the county may be limited to a few waters. On Lac Mesnil a short move beats a long cast.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The warm month here averages 17°C; the cold one sits at -16°C. Water stays cold even at the height of the year. Ice-out usually falls in early May, and the weeks after it fish hardest. Climate averages put the opening at about early May and the closing near mid November. Reckon on open water from spring through to late autumn, with May and June the strongest. It holds true on Lac Mesnil more years than not.

• Tackle & Baits

  The paperwork position is blank for this one. The map shows no ramp or car park nearby, so this is a walk-in water. Bass water: a Texas-rigged worm near cover, a spinnerbait when you need to cover ground. Where the road in crosses private land, ask first. Where parking is tight, arriving early solves most problems. Lac Tassin sits 0.7 km off and takes the overflow. Nothing here settles the position at Lac Mesnil for certain.