Fishing at Lac du Rugby, Abitibi-Témiscamingue, Quebec

• Overview

  The Abitibi-Témiscamingue entry here is Lac du Rugby, in Quebec. The bank is 380 metres above sea level. This is a pocket water of some 2 hectares, and every part of it is reachable from the bank. On size it sits at the modest end of our Abitibi-Témiscamingue list. Senneterre lies 93 km from the water. Gatineau sits 272 km out, and it is the nearest city worth the name. The nearest boundary is a fair way off.

• Where to Fish on Lac du Rugby

  Our records hold no depth for this water. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. Bays and points beat straight shoreline every time on water like this. County-wide records name northern pike, yellow perch, walleye and white sucker. What holds for the county may not hold for this water. Work Lac du Rugby in sections rather than trying to cover it.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Between January at about -18°C and July at about 17°C, the water has a wide range to work through. The freeze holds for the better part of the year. Ice fishing carries the winter, and the water opens about early May. On average, early May opens the water and mid November closes it again. June through September is the settled part of the year, with the shoulders busier for fish. It holds true on Lac du Rugby more years than not.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether the bank is open is not something our records settle. The map shows no ramp or car park nearby, so this is a walk-in water. For the pike, wire up and throw larger lures along the weed edges. Where access is informal, keep it that way by behaving. Where the way in crosses private ground, ask first. Should this one be busy, Lac au Foin is 0.5 km off. For Lac du Rugby in particular, ask before you travel.