Fishing Lac Arlette in Abitibi-Témiscamingue, Quebec

• Overview

  Look for Lac Arlette in Abitibi-Témiscamingue, Quebec. The country round it is spruce and muskeg from end to end. At 2.78 sq km this is proper open water rather than a pond. On our Abitibi-Témiscamingue list it sits near the top for size. 92 km away sits Lebel-sur-Quévillon, the nearest town. It is 353 km to Gatineau, the nearest city. There is no boundary nearby to worry about.

• Where to Fish on Lac Arlette

  There is no published depth for this one, so start shallow and work out. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. County-wide records name northern pike, yellow perch, walleye and white sucker. Those are county-wide records, so not every one of them will be in this water. The near bank of Lac Arlette is often the one people ignore.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The range across the year is -18°C to 16°C. The ice season is long here and the open one short. Ice-out usually falls in early May, and the weeks after it fish hardest. The water is typically free of ice between early May and mid November. June through September is the settled part of the year, with the shoulders busier for fish. Plan around that when you fish Lac Arlette.

• Tackle & Baits

  Public sources are silent on who controls the bank. Mapping is blank for access, so scout the approach before committing the car. A wire trace and a big bright lure handle the pike; deep water asks for a heavier spoon. Check locally before you travel, because a wasted drive is a long one. Close seasons apply to some species and not others. Lac des Terrasses sits 4.3 km off and takes the overflow. Check the position on Lac Arlette before loading the car.