Lac Paneton Fishing Guide, Mauricie, Quebec

• Overview

  The Mauricie end of Quebec holds Lac Paneton. Everything around it is rolling bush. This is a pocket water of some 8 hectares, and every part of it is reachable from the bank. The closest town, La Tuque, is 44 km away. Further out sit Weymontachie (68 km) and Manawan (79 km). Alternatives close at hand: Lac du Bouffon at about 0.9 km, Lac Fertile within 1.5 km, Lac de la Proie at about 1.5 km, Lac Vermillon within 2 km and Lac du Merite at about 2.1 km. This one is safely inside the county line.

• Where to Fish on Lac Paneton

  No chart reached our records; the first cast is your sounding. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. Survey and observation records for Mauricie include northern pike, brook trout and walleye. The county figures include rivers and lakes alike. Lac Paneton repays a walk before the first cast.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Seasonal averages run from -16°C in January up to 17°C in July. The year runs cold to warm and back, with clear transitions. Count the season from break-up, usually late April. Expect the water usable from around late April until roughly mid November. May into June fishes hardest, and September gives a second good stretch before the lid returns. On Lac Paneton that shapes the whole year.

• Tackle & Baits

  We have no record of the rules that apply on this bank. There is no mapped parking or launch close by, which usually means walking in. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. Check whether a boat is allowed before you tow one. A polite question at the farm gate opens more banks than anything else. Lac du Bouffon, 0.9 km away, makes the obvious fallback. For Lac Paneton, the notice at the access point is the final word.