Fishing at Lac Virginie, Lanaudière, Quebec

• Overview

  This water sits in Lanaudière, Quebec. It sits in lake country bush. With some 25 hectares of water, there is room for a boat but no need of one. The edge runs 3.2 km or so, easy to work in an afternoon. For a base, Saint-Michel-des-Saints sits 48 km out. Saint-Élie-de-Caxton follows at 68 km, then Mandeville at 70 km. Close by you have: Petit lac Romeo 0.4 km off, Lac l'Ecluse within 1 km, Lac Hilda 1 km off, Lac a Vase within 1.4 km and Lac du Rateau 1.9 km off. The nearest boundary is a fair way off.

• Where to Fish on Lac Virginie

  Depth is unknown to us, and the shoreline is the better guide. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. Across Lanaudière, recorded fish include pumpkinseed, smallmouth bass, yellow perch and rock bass. What holds for the county may not hold for this water. Work Lac Virginie in sections rather than trying to cover it.

• Seasonal Patterns

  In an average year July sits at 17°C and January at -15°C. Seasons are distinct, and each one fishes differently. The lid usually goes in late April, which opens the strongest weeks of the year. Going by climate averages, expect open water from about late April until roughly late November. June through September is the settled part of the year, with the shoulders busier for fish. The season on Lac Virginie follows the weather closely.

• Tackle & Baits

  Our records carry no access rule either way. No dam controls it, and the level follows the season. Access points are not mapped for this water, which suits people who like quiet. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. Rules for this water may differ from the county norm. Signs go up and come down, so check on the day. If the gate is shut, Petit lac Romeo at 0.4 km is the nearest alternative. The position on Lac Virginie is worth confirming on the day.