Fishing Lac Cardinal in Abitibi-Témiscamingue, Quebec

• Overview

  The Abitibi-Témiscamingue entry here is Lac Cardinal, in Quebec. Height above sea level is 339 metres. Small at around 5 hectares: two anglers spread out cover most of it. Most waters listed here for Abitibi-Témiscamingue are larger. Start from Mattawa, 53 km down the road. Notre-Dame-du-Lac lies 60 km off, Témiscaming another 63 km. It sits well inside its county, with no border complications.

• Where to Fish on Lac Cardinal

  Our records carry no depth, so judge it from the bank. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. Records held for Abitibi-Témiscamingue cover northern pike, yellow perch and walleye. Species recorded across the county may be limited to a few waters. Take Lac Cardinal a stretch at a time.

• Seasonal Patterns

  On the long-term average, July reads 18°C and January reads -14°C. Cold locks it up for a good stretch each year. Count on hard cover from midwinter, and open water from late April. Climate averages put the opening at about late April and the closing near late November. Fish feed hardest at the start and the close of the open season. The season on Lac Cardinal rarely departs from it.

• Tackle & Baits

  Access is not recorded for this water. No launch point is recorded nearby, so this is a bank water unless you carry a boat in. For the pike, wire up and throw larger lures along the weed edges. Rules for this water may differ from the county norm. Where tickets apply, they are sold in the nearest town rather than on the bank. Lac Petrin, 1.4 km away, makes the obvious fallback. Rules at Lac Cardinal are worth checking on the day.