Fishing Lac du Vieux-Leblanc in Abitibi-Témiscamingue, Quebec

• Overview

  Lac du Vieux-Leblanc is an Abitibi-Témiscamingue water, Quebec side. The bank is 272 metres above sea level. The water covers some 25 hectares, so pick a bank rather than trying to cover it all. The edge runs 2.9 km or so, easy to work in an afternoon. For a base, Saint-Isidore sits 25 km out. Greater Sudbury is the closest city, 191 km away. It lies deep inside the county rather than near an edge.

• Where to Fish on Lac du Vieux-Leblanc

  There is no recorded depth, so work from what you can see. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. Open biodiversity records for Abitibi-Témiscamingue list northern pike, yellow perch, walleye and white sucker. What holds for the county may not hold for this water. At Lac du Vieux-Leblanc the water rewards a slow, careful approach.

• Seasonal Patterns

  July runs about 18°C on average, January about -16°C. Winter puts a hard lid on this one. After late April the shallows warm and the fish move up. Climate averages put the opening at about late April and the closing near late November. The open run goes from the thaw to the freeze, and April through October covers most of it. Keep it in mind when planning a trip to Lac du Vieux-Leblanc.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing we hold confirms whether access is permitted. It formed naturally, so levels move with rainfall rather than with a gate. Nothing built is recorded close to the bank here. For the pike, wire up and throw larger lures along the weed edges. Provincial rules still apply whatever the bank status. Signs go up and come down, so check on the day. If the gate is shut, Lac Langelier at 3.2 km is the nearest alternative. Check the current arrangement for Lac du Vieux-Leblanc.