Fishing at Lac en Coeur, Abitibi-Témiscamingue, Quebec

• Overview

  Lac en Coeur is one of the Abitibi-Témiscamingue listings for Quebec. Height above sea level is 338 metres. It runs to roughly 40 hectares — big enough to hold fish away from the bank, small enough to learn. The edge runs 4.4 km or so, easy to work in an afternoon. The nearest place of any size is Saint-Isidore, 46 km away. After that come Ville-Marie at 54 km and Saint-Bruno-de-Guigues at 57 km. The nearest edge is a long way off, so local rules apply throughout.

• Where to Fish on Lac en Coeur

  There is no published depth for this one, so start shallow and work out. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. Fish documented in Abitibi-Témiscamingue include northern pike, yellow perch and walleye. What holds for the county may not hold for this water. Lac en Coeur responds to conditions more than to tactics.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Typical July readings run about 18°C; by January the average is down near -16°C. Expect a real winter and a strong spring after it. Hard water holds through the cold months, breaking up near late April. Averages suggest open water from about late April through to roughly late November. Reckon on open water from spring through to late autumn, with May and June the strongest. Anyone fishing Lac en Coeur regularly works to that calendar.

• Tackle & Baits

  No access rule appears in what we hold. No dam controls it, and the level follows the season. There is a pier recorded roughly 1.4 km away. For the pike, wire up and throw larger lures along the weed edges. Take the rules with you rather than trusting memory. Where tickets apply, they are sold in the nearest town rather than on the bank. The nearest alternative is Lac Diamant, 1.3 km out. Rules at Lac en Coeur are worth checking on the day.