Lac Elzear in Abitibi-Témiscamingue: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Within Abitibi-Témiscamingue, Quebec, you have Lac Elzear. It sits at 402 metres above sea level. With some 10 hectares of water, there is room for a boat but no need of one. The edge runs 1.5 km or so, easy to work in an afternoon. Supplies mean a trip to Senneterre, 66 km off. The nearest city of size is Gatineau, 339 km away. No county line comes close, which keeps the paperwork simple.

• Where to Fish on Lac Elzear

  We hold no survey for this water; read the slope of the shoreline instead. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. Abitibi-Témiscamingue records list northern pike, yellow perch, walleye and white sucker among the fish reported. The county figures include rivers and lakes alike. At Lac Elzear the first feature you find is worth twenty minutes.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Long-term averages put July at about 16°C and January near -18°C. Open water arrives late and leaves early, which concentrates the fishing. The open season starts with the thaw, near enough early May. The season between ice runs from about early May to mid November. Early summer and early autumn carry the open-water season. Keep it in mind when planning a trip to Lac Elzear.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing in our records says who may fish here. This is a natural basin, not a dammed one. There is no mapped parking or launch nearby, which keeps numbers down. Pike mean a wire trace, no exceptions; big spoons and jerkbaits do the searching. Ask in the nearest town if you are unsure. Some water is controlled locally without a sign saying so. The nearest alternative is Lac Girouard, 2.9 km out. Treat Lac Elzear as unsettled until someone local tells you otherwise.