Lac Algonquin in Abitibi-Témiscamingue: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Lac Algonquin is one of the Abitibi-Témiscamingue waters in Quebec. The country here is rolling bush. This is big water, about 15.92 sq km, and in a wind it behaves like a small sea. You have roughly 73 km of edge to choose from, which rewards a scouting trip. On our Abitibi-Témiscamingue list it sits near the top for size. Notre-Dame-du-Lac lies 90 km from the water. For a city, Greater Sudbury is 238 km off. The nearest edge is a long way off, so local rules apply throughout.

• Where to Fish on Lac Algonquin

  No depth figure has reached our records, which makes a plummet useful. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. Reported across Abitibi-Témiscamingue: northern pike, yellow perch and walleye. County records show what lives in the area; the local agency holds the water-by-water list. On Lac Algonquin the obvious spot is not always the productive one.

• Seasonal Patterns

  In an average year July sits at 17°C and January at -15°C. A full turn of seasons, with the strongest sport on either side of summer. After late April the shallows warm and the fish move up. Average temperatures cross freezing around late April in spring and again near late November in autumn. Early summer and early autumn carry the open-water season. It holds true on Lac Algonquin more years than not.

• Tackle & Baits

  The paperwork position is blank for this one. This is a natural basin, not a dammed one. Nothing is mapped in the way of a ramp or car park within a short radius. A wire trace and a big bright lure handle the pike; deep water asks for a heavier spoon. Ask in the nearest town if you are unsure. Night access is frequently treated as a separate matter. Failing this one, try Lac Agny, 1.7 km away. Nothing here settles the position at Lac Algonquin for certain.