Fishing at Lac des Gaufres, Abitibi-Témiscamingue, Quebec

• Overview

  Lac des Gaufres lies in Abitibi-Témiscamingue, Quebec. It sits at 363 metres above sea level. With some 39 hectares of water, there is room for a boat but no need of one. Around 17 km of bank, which is a long day on foot. Senneterre sits 104 km from the bank. Gatineau sits 243 km out, and it is the nearest city worth the name. There is no boundary nearby to worry about.

• Where to Fish on Lac des Gaufres

  There is no published depth for this one, so start shallow and work out. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. County-wide records name northern pike, yellow perch, walleye, white sucker and brown bullhead. Records at this level tell you what is in the area. At Lac des Gaufres the first feature you find is worth twenty minutes.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Averages move between -17°C in January and 17°C in July. This is a two-season water: locked, then wide open. Expect a solid lid for months and a thaw around early May. Break-up near early May, freeze-up near mid November: that is the shape of an average year. May into June fishes hardest, and September gives a second good stretch before the lid returns. Plan around that when you fish Lac des Gaufres.

• Tackle & Baits

  Public sources are silent on who controls the bank. Records list it as a natural water body rather than an impoundment. A wire trace and a big bright lure handle the pike; deep water asks for a heavier spoon. Check locally before you travel, because a wasted drive is a long one. Where tickets apply, they are sold in the nearest town rather than on the bank. Lac Alassac at 1.1 km is the sensible second choice. Treat Lac des Gaufres as unsettled until someone local tells you otherwise.