Lac des Ondatras, Quebec: Fishing Spots and Seasons

• Overview

  Lac des Ondatras is one of the Abitibi-Témiscamingue waters in Quebec. The water sits 440 metres up. It covers about 3 hectares, so this is small water you can walk round in under an hour. On size it sits at the modest end of our Abitibi-Témiscamingue list. For supplies, Leblanc is 98 km out. Senneterre is 120 km and Lebel-sur-Quévillon 140 km. Rules here are straightforward: one set of provincial rules.

• Where to Fish on Lac des Ondatras

  There is no published depth for this one, so start shallow and work out. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. County-wide records name northern pike, yellow perch and walleye. Read it as a county summary, not a water-by-water list. Treat Lac des Ondatras as a water to read rather than to cover.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Between January at about -18°C and July at about 16°C, the water has a wide range to work through. The ice season is long here and the open one short. Hard cover is dependable here; it goes around early May. The open-water window runs from around early May to about mid November in an average year. The first weeks of open water and the last are the ones to plan for. At Lac des Ondatras the season follows that pattern closely.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing we hold confirms whether access is permitted. No built facilities appear in mapping around this water. A wire trace and a big bright lure handle the pike; deep water asks for a heavier spoon. Where the road in crosses private land, ask first. Some ground is open by custom rather than by right, so tread carefully. The nearest alternative is Lac aux Outardes, 1.1 km out. The position on Lac des Ondatras is worth confirming on the day.