Fishing at Lac a l'Ecart, Abitibi-Témiscamingue, Quebec

• Overview

  Lac a l'Ecart sits in Abitibi-Témiscamingue, out in Quebec. Height above sea level is 334 metres. Surface area is around 12 hectares, which gives you real water without needing a boat. Shoreline comes to about 1.5 km, small enough to learn in a day. Mattawa is the closest town at 56 km. Notre-Dame-du-Lac follows at 65 km, then Témiscaming at 68 km. It sits well inside the county, so one set of rules covers it.

• Where to Fish on Lac a l'Ecart

  Depth figures are not published for this one. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. Open biodiversity records for Abitibi-Témiscamingue list northern pike, yellow perch, walleye and white sucker. Take it as the county picture rather than a promise for this water. At Lac a l'Ecart the water rewards a slow, careful approach.

• Seasonal Patterns

  On the long-term average, July reads 18°C and January reads -14°C. Fishing here follows the temperature more than the calendar. Count on hard cover from midwinter, and open water from late April. Averages suggest open water from about late April through to roughly late November. The strong weeks are the first after break-up and the last before the freeze. That is the shape of the year on Lac a l'Ecart.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether the bank is open is not something our records settle. This is a natural basin, not a dammed one. Nothing built is recorded close to the bank here. Pike mean a wire trace, no exceptions; big spoons and jerkbaits do the searching. Provincial rules still apply whatever the bank status. Some water is controlled locally without a sign saying so. Lac du Vautour sits 0.6 km off and takes the overflow. Check the position at Lac a l'Ecart before loading the car.