Lac Dumesnil Fishing Guide, Abitibi-Témiscamingue, Quebec

• Overview

  Look for Lac Dumesnil in the Abitibi-Témiscamingue part of Quebec. The bank is 377 metres above sea level. With some 14 hectares of water, there is room for a boat but no need of one. A shoreline of some 2.1 km keeps the choices simple. The town to know is Rouyn-Noranda, 35 km out. It is 240 km to Greater Sudbury, the nearest city. It sits well inside its county, with no border complications.

• Where to Fish on Lac Dumesnil

  Depth remains unrecorded, so treat the first session as a survey. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. Fish documented in Abitibi-Témiscamingue include northern pike, yellow perch, walleye, white sucker and brown bullhead. Records at this level tell you what is in the area. On Lac Dumesnil the first feature you find is usually worth a session.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The year swings from about -17°C in January to roughly 17°C in July. Open water arrives late and leaves early, which concentrates the fishing. Hard water holds through the cold months, breaking up near early May. The lid tends to go about early May and return around mid November. Late spring and early autumn carry the year between them. Plan around that when you fish Lac Dumesnil.

• Tackle & Baits

  We hold no note on access for this one. It formed naturally, so levels move with rainfall rather than with a gate. Formal access is not mapped, so the last stretch is likely on foot. Pike mean a wire trace, no exceptions; big spoons and jerkbaits do the searching. Gates get locked out of season on water like this. Some stretches are reserved and marked as such on the ground. Failing this one, try Lac Pean, 1 km away. Where Lac Dumesnil is concerned, a local answer beats a written one.