Fishing at Lac Dree, Abitibi-Témiscamingue, Quebec

• Overview

  Lac Dree sits in Abitibi-Témiscamingue, out in Quebec. The country round it is lake country bush from end to end. With some 11 hectares of water, there is room for a boat but no need of one. A shoreline of some 1.6 km keeps the choices simple. Some 112 km away sits Deep River, the nearest settlement. Gatineau sits 227 km out, and it is the nearest city worth the name. One jurisdiction covers this water end to end.

• Where to Fish on Lac Dree

  No depth figure appears in our records, so the bank has to tell you. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. Records held for Abitibi-Témiscamingue cover northern pike, yellow perch, walleye, white sucker and brown bullhead. Records at this level tell you what is in the area. On Lac Dree the obvious spot is not always the productive one.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Typical July readings run about 17°C; by January the average is down near -16°C. A full turn of seasons, with the strongest sport on either side of summer. Hard water holds through the cold months, breaking up near late April. The open-water window runs from around late April to about late November in an average year. Early summer and early autumn carry the open-water season. It sets the rhythm of the year at Lac Dree.

• Tackle & Baits

  No access rule appears in what we hold. It formed naturally, so levels move with rainfall rather than with a gate. No made access is recorded, so a short walk in is the likely arrangement. A wire trace and a big bright lure handle the pike; deep water asks for a heavier spoon. Sort the permit out before you load the car. Check whether bait restrictions apply before you buy any. Lac Agme sits 0.9 km off and takes the overflow. Check the position on Lac Dree before loading the car.