Lac des Montagnes, Quebec: Fishing Spots and Seasons

• Overview

  Look for Lac des Montagnes in the Abitibi-Témiscamingue part of Quebec. It stands 403 metres above sea level. Small at around 7 hectares: two anglers spread out cover most of it. You are 20 km from Malartic. Then Val-d'Or, 40 km, and Rouyn-Noranda, 58 km. Also within reach: Lac Ponto at 1.2 km, Lac Moise lies 1.6 km on, Lac Moskail at 1.6 km, Lac Ledache lies 2.2 km on and Lac Fouillac at 3 km. It sits well inside its county, with no border complications.

• Where to Fish on Lac des Montagnes

  Depth is unmeasured here, so let the shoreline guide you. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. Survey and observation records for Abitibi-Témiscamingue include northern pike, yellow perch, walleye and white sucker. County records show what lives in the area; the local agency holds the water-by-water list. Lac des Montagnes gives up its fish to patience rather than distance.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Climate records put July near 17°C and January near -17°C. This far north the hard season runs and runs. Hard water holds through the cold months, breaking up near early May. Ice clears near early May and comes back about mid November in a typical year. The open run goes from the thaw to the freeze, and April through October covers most of it. Anyone fishing Lac des Montagnes regularly works to that calendar.

• Tackle & Baits

  No access rule appears in what we hold. Nothing in the way of made access shows up nearby: no ramp, no car park, no path. For the pike, wire up and throw larger lures along the weed edges. Look for a notice board at the entrance. Access can change hands, so last year's answer may not hold. For a change of water, Lac Ponto is 1.2 km distant. Nothing on Lac des Montagnes should be assumed from this page alone.