Lac Valade Fishing Guide, Lanaudière, Quebec

• Overview

  Lac Valade is one of the Lanaudière listings for Quebec. Elevation runs to 384 metres. Roughly 91 hectares: a morning covers one end, an afternoon the other. The shoreline runs about 11 km, so it pays to pick a stretch and stay with it. It is among the larger waters listed here for Lanaudière. Nearest place of any size is Manawan, 41 km away. Trois-Rivières is the closest city, 147 km away. No boundary runs near, so the local rules hold throughout.

• Where to Fish on Lac Valade

  Our records hold no depth for this water. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. This is a lake, so the margins and the first drop matter most. Records held for Lanaudière cover pumpkinseed, smallmouth bass, yellow perch and rock bass. What holds for the county may not hold for this water. The shape of Lac Valade decides where the fish sit.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Long-term averages put July at about 17°C and January near -16°C. The season is measured in weeks rather than months. Hard cover is dependable here; it goes around early May. The season between ice runs from about early May to mid November. May into June fishes hardest, and September gives a second good stretch before the lid returns. Keep it in mind when planning a trip to Lac Valade.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether you may fish here is not something records settle. It formed naturally, so levels move with rainfall rather than with a gate. We find no slipway, car park or made path within a short radius, so treat access as rough. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. A phone call first saves an afternoon. Some ground is open by custom rather than by right, so tread carefully. If the gate is shut, Lac de la Carene at 1.4 km is the nearest alternative. Ask locally about Lac Valade if anything is unclear.