Fishing Lac de l'Inattendu in Abitibi-Témiscamingue, Quebec

• Overview

  Lac de l'Inattendu lies in Abitibi-Témiscamingue, Quebec. It sits in northern bush. Roughly 11 hectares: a morning covers one end, an afternoon the other. The edge runs 1.4 km or so, easy to work in an afternoon. The closest town, Senneterre, is 95 km distant. Gatineau is the closest city, 267 km away. It sits well inside its county, with no border complications.

• Where to Fish on Lac de l'Inattendu

  Depth is unknown to us, and the shoreline is the better guide. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. Fish documented in Abitibi-Témiscamingue include northern pike, yellow perch, walleye and white sucker. These are county-wide records, so not all of them will be in this water. The shape of Lac de l'Inattendu rewards a slow walk along one bank.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Averages move between -18°C in January and 17°C in July. Open water is the exception rather than the rule here. Ice-out usually falls in early May, and the weeks after it fish hardest. The season between ice runs from about early May to mid November. The weeks after the thaw and the ones before the freeze are the strongest. On Lac de l'Inattendu the same rules apply, with local timing.

• Tackle & Baits

  We have no record of the rules that apply on this bank. Records list it as a natural water body rather than an impoundment. Public mapping records no formal access here, so plan for a walk and soft ground. For the pike, wire up and throw larger lures along the weed edges. A phone call first saves an afternoon. Some water is controlled locally without a sign saying so. For a change of water, Lac Grad is 2.1 km distant. For Lac de l'Inattendu in particular, ask before you travel.