Lac de l'Abandon in Abitibi-Témiscamingue: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  The Abitibi-Témiscamingue end of Quebec holds Lac de l'Abandon. Elevation runs to 350 metres. At roughly 3 hectares, the whole thing is within casting reach of a single walk. It is one of the smaller waters we list in Abitibi-Témiscamingue. The closest town, Val-d'Or, is 70 km distant. The big place round here is Gatineau, 264 km distant. One jurisdiction covers this water end to end.

• Where to Fish on Lac de l'Abandon

  We hold no depth figure for this one. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. This is a lake, so the margins and the first drop matter most. Fish documented in Abitibi-Témiscamingue include northern pike, yellow perch and walleye. These are county-wide records, so not all of them will be in this water. Anyone new to Lac de l'Abandon should walk it once before setting up.

• Seasonal Patterns

  On the long-term average, July reads 17°C and January reads -16°C. Open water arrives late and leaves early, which concentrates the fishing. The open season starts with the thaw, near enough early May. Going by climate averages, expect open water from about early May until roughly mid November. The shoulder weeks of the open season are the productive ones. It holds true on Lac de l'Abandon more years than not.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether the bank is open is not something our records settle. There is no mapped parking or launch close by, which usually means walking in. Pike mean a wire trace, no exceptions; big spoons and jerkbaits do the searching. A landowner's word beats anything printed elsewhere. Some stretches are reserved and marked as such on the ground. Should this one be busy, Lac Gardon is 0.3 km off. Check the position at Lac de l'Abandon before loading the car.