Lac des Baies, Quebec: Fishing Spots and Seasons

• Overview

  Set in Abitibi-Témiscamingue, Lac des Baies is a Quebec water. Mixed forest runs right down to the water. This is big water, about 14.87 sq km, and in a wind it behaves like a small sea. The bank runs about 67 km in total, split between open shore and sheltered corners. Few waters listed in Abitibi-Témiscamingue are bigger. You are 89 km from Val-d'Or. Malartic is 99 km away, with Notre-Dame-du-Lac at 122 km. This one is safely inside the county line.

• Where to Fish on Lac des Baies

  We hold no survey for this water; read the slope of the shoreline instead. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. County-wide records name northern pike, yellow perch, walleye, white sucker and brown bullhead. County records show what lives in the area; the local agency holds the water-by-water list. Lac des Baies gives up more to patience than to distance.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Expect July to average close to 17°C, with January the cold end at about -15°C. The middle months are generous; the ends are demanding. The lid usually goes in early May, which opens the strongest weeks of the year. From about early May to around late November, expect open water on the long-run figures. The strong weeks are the first after break-up and the last before the freeze. Lac des Baies runs to its own calendar within the local pattern.

• Tackle & Baits

  We hold no note on access for this one. It formed naturally, so levels move with rainfall rather than with a gate. No car park, ramp or path is recorded within easy reach of the shore. Pike mean a wire trace, no exceptions; big spoons and jerkbaits do the searching. Take the rules with you rather than trusting memory. Some water is controlled locally without a sign saying so. If the gate is shut, Lac Cep at 1.6 km is the nearest alternative. Nothing on Lac des Baies should be assumed from this page alone.