Fishing at Petit lac Bidou, Lanaudière, Quebec

• Overview

  The Lanaudière end of Quebec holds Petit lac Bidou. The bank gives way to lake country bush. Small even by pond standards, it rewards one careful line. Most waters listed here for Lanaudière are larger. The nearest town is Mandeville, 17 km away. Beyond it, Saint-Gabriel at 19 km and Saint-Jean-de-Matha at 22 km. This one is safely inside the county line.

• Where to Fish on Petit lac Bidou

  We hold no depth figure for this one. 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. County-wide records name pumpkinseed, smallmouth bass, yellow perch, rock bass and brook trout. Those are county-wide records, so not every one of them will be in this water. Work Petit lac Bidou in sections rather than trying to cover it.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Climate normals give 18°C for July and -14°C for January. A solid cap is the normal state through winter. Winter locks it down, and late April brings it back. Climate averages put the opening at about late April and the closing near late November. The first weeks of open water and the last are the ones to plan for. Expect Petit lac Bidou to follow that timing.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing in our records says who may fish here. Nothing is listed nearby for parking or launching a boat. Largemouth respond to soft plastics tight to cover; go weedless where the growth is heavy. Provincial rules still apply whatever the bank status. Rules for boats are stricter than rules for the bank in many places. For a change of water, Lac Bidou is 0.4 km distant. Check the current arrangement for Petit lac Bidou.