Fishing at Lac de l'Enfer, Abitibi-Témiscamingue, Quebec

• Overview

  The Abitibi-Témiscamingue entry here is Lac de l'Enfer, in Quebec. The surroundings are boreal forest. It covers about 6 hectares, so this is small water you can walk round in under an hour. Our Abitibi-Témiscamingue list holds plenty of bigger water. The closest town, Senneterre, is 114 km away. Beyond it, Ferme-Neuve at 118 km and Saint-Boniface at 120 km. No county line comes close, which keeps the paperwork simple.

• Where to Fish on Lac de l'Enfer

  Depth is not on record here, which means reading the ground instead. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. Across Abitibi-Témiscamingue, recorded fish include northern pike, yellow perch and walleye. County records show what lives in the area; the local agency holds the water-by-water list. Read Lac de l'Enfer for ten minutes before the first cast goes out.

• Seasonal Patterns

  On the long-term average, July reads 17°C and January reads -18°C. The freeze holds for the better part of the year. After early May the shallows warm and the fish move up. Climate averages put the opening at about early May and the closing near mid November. Late spring and early autumn carry the year between them. On Lac de l'Enfer the same rules apply, with local timing.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether you may fish here is not something 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. Look for a notice board at the entrance. Access can change hands, so last year's answer may not hold. Lac Lucas sits 2.3 km off and takes the overflow. Signs at Lac de l'Enfer carry more weight than any list.