Lac de la Cartouche in Abitibi-Témiscamingue: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Lac de la Cartouche sits within Abitibi-Témiscamingue in Quebec. The setting is pine and birch. At roughly 8 hectares, the whole thing is within casting reach of a single walk. The nearest place of any size is Mattawa, 50 km away. Gatineau sits 214 km out, and it is the nearest city worth the name. The nearest boundary is a fair way off.

• Where to Fish on Lac de la Cartouche

  Depth went unrecorded, which puts the reading back on you. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. Across Abitibi-Témiscamingue, recorded fish include northern pike, yellow perch, walleye, white sucker and brown bullhead. Records at county level tell you what is around, not what is stocked here. Fish Lac de la Cartouche where the bottom changes rather than where it looks deep.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The year swings from about -14°C in January to roughly 18°C in July. Spring and autumn carry the fishing; summer and winter test it. Ice is part of the season here, ending near late April. The water is typically free of ice between late April and late November. The first weeks of open water and the last are the ones to plan for. At Lac de la Cartouche the season follows that pattern closely.

• Tackle & Baits

  We hold no note on access for this one. No slipway, car park or made path shows up nearby in mapping, so treat access as rough. For the pike, wire up and throw larger lures along the weed edges. Check locally before you travel, because a wasted drive is a long one. Signs go up and come down, so check on the day. Lac De Chaulnes sits 2.1 km off and takes the overflow. Signs at Lac de la Cartouche carry more weight than any list.