Petit lac Gayot Fishing Guide, Lanaudière, Quebec

• Overview

  Petit lac Gayot lies within the bounds of Lanaudière, Quebec. It sits at 394 metres above sea level. This is a pocket water of some 5 hectares, and every part of it is reachable from the bank. Start from Saint-Michel-des-Saints, 31 km down the road. Manawan follows at 64 km, then Mandeville at 65 km. Nearest other option: Lac Gayot 0.7 km, Lac Rivard (2.6 km), Lac Bordeleau 2.6 km, Lac Longpre Sud (2.7 km) and Lac aux Cenelles 2.8 km. The nearest edge is a long way off, so local rules apply throughout.

• Where to Fish on Petit lac Gayot

  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. Survey and observation records for Lanaudière include pumpkinseed, smallmouth bass, yellow perch, rock bass and brook trout. What holds for the county may not hold for this water. Anyone new to Petit lac Gayot should walk it once before setting up.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Temperature averages peak at 17°C in July and bottom out at -15°C in January. Winter closes the water for a while, and the reopening is worth catching. Count on hard cover from midwinter, and open water from late April. Ice usually gives way near late April, and forms again about late November. The strong weeks are the first after break-up and the last before the freeze. Plan any trip to Petit lac Gayot around it.

• Tackle & Baits

  Access is not recorded for this water. Mapping shows an empty shoreline: no ramp, no jetty, no marked entry. 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. Failing this one, try Lac Gayot, 0.7 km away. Signs at Petit lac Gayot carry more weight than any list.