Lac des Cantharides, Quebec: Fishing Spots and Seasons

• Overview

  You will find Lac des Cantharides in Abitibi-Témiscamingue, Quebec. Spruce and muskeg runs right down to the water. The water measures roughly 9 hectares, so nothing here is far from anything else. Nearest place of any size is Senneterre, 107 km away. After that come Val-d'Or at 110 km and Saint-Boniface at 124 km. No county line comes close, which keeps the paperwork simple.

• Where to Fish on Lac des Cantharides

  We hold no depth figure for this one. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. Abitibi-Témiscamingue records list northern pike, yellow perch, walleye and white sucker among the fish reported. Read it as a county summary, not a water-by-water list. On Lac des Cantharides the quiet end is the one worth the extra effort.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Typical July readings run about 17°C; by January the average is down near -17°C. Cold dominates the calendar on water this far north. The lid usually sets by midwinter and gives way around early May. Break-up sits around early May on average, with the water closing again about mid November. May into June fishes hardest, and September gives a second good stretch before the lid returns. Lac des Cantharides runs to that rhythm year in and year out.

• Tackle & Baits

  We hold no note on access for this one. Access is unmapped, which usually means a farm track and a walk. For the pike, wire up and throw larger lures along the weed edges. Some banks are open only from a marked point. Check whether bait restrictions apply before you buy any. Lac Anieres sits 0.6 km off and takes the overflow. Rules at Lac des Cantharides are worth checking on the day.