Lac Parnot Fishing Guide, Lanaudière, Quebec

• Overview

  The Lanaudière end of Quebec holds Lac Parnot. The setting is rolling bush on every side. Small at around 2 hectares: two anglers spread out cover most of it. Most waters listed here for Lanaudière are larger. For supplies, Saint-Michel-des-Saints is 37 km out. Saint-Louis-de-Terrebonne sits 114 km out, and it is the nearest city worth the name. It sits well inside its county, with no border complications.

• Where to Fish on Lac Parnot

  Depth went unrecorded, which puts the reading back on you. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. Records held for Lanaudière cover pumpkinseed, smallmouth bass and yellow perch. The county list is broader than any single water. Lac Parnot gives up its fish to patience rather than distance.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Between January at about -15°C and July at about 17°C, the water has a wide range to work through. Winter shuts the surface down for months. The lid usually sets by midwinter and gives way around early May. Break-up near early May, freeze-up near late November: that is the shape of an average year. The first weeks of open water and the last are the ones to plan for. At Lac Parnot the season follows that pattern closely.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether the bank is open is not something our records settle. Access is unmapped, which usually means a farm track and a walk. 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. Check whether bait restrictions apply before you buy any. For a change of water, Lac Leslie is 1.3 km distant. Treat Lac Parnot as unsettled until someone local tells you otherwise.