Lac Ecrou Fishing Guide, Abitibi-Témiscamingue, Quebec

• Overview

  In Quebec, Lac Ecrou falls inside Abitibi-Témiscamingue. Elevation runs to 362 metres. The nearest place of any size is Senneterre, 108 km away. Val-d'Or is 112 km away, with Saint-Boniface at 123 km. Neighbouring water: Lac des Crioceres just 0.5 km, Lac des Bostryches 0.7 km off, Lac Anieres just 0.9 km, Lac de l'Ivraie 0.9 km off and Lac Panere just 0.9 km. The county line is nowhere near, so one local authority covers the water.

• Where to Fish on Lac Ecrou

  Depth remains unrecorded, so treat the first session as a survey. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. Reported across Abitibi-Témiscamingue: northern pike, yellow perch, walleye and white sucker. Records at this level tell you what is in the area. At Lac Ecrou the water rewards a slow, careful approach.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Averages here run 17°C at the top of summer and -17°C at the bottom of winter. Winter owns most of the year at this latitude. The lid usually goes in early May, which opens the strongest weeks of the year. Averages place the thaw at early May and the freeze at mid November. The weeks after the thaw and the ones before the freeze are the strongest. That is the shape of the year on Lac Ecrou.

• Tackle & Baits

  The rules here are undocumented as far as public sources go. Public mapping records no formal access here, so plan for a walk and soft ground. For the pike, wire up and throw larger lures along the weed edges. Where a permit is needed, the nearest town usually sells it. Keep proof of licence with you rather than in the car. Lac des Crioceres, 0.5 km away, makes the obvious fallback. Rules at Lac Ecrou are worth checking on the day.