Lac en Dentelle Fishing in Abitibi-Témiscamingue, Quebec

• Overview

  Lac en Dentelle lies in Abitibi-Témiscamingue, in Quebec. The country round it is boreal forest from end to end. Surface area runs to about 5 hectares — small enough to read in one session. On size it sits at the modest end of our Abitibi-Témiscamingue list. Val-d'Or sits 60 km from here and is the nearest stop. The big place round here is Gatineau, 274 km distant. It sits well inside the county, so one set of rules covers it.

• Where to Fish on Lac en Dentelle

  Depth figures are not published for this one. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. Bays and points beat straight shoreline every time on water like this. Open biodiversity records for Abitibi-Témiscamingue list northern pike, yellow perch, walleye, white sucker and brown bullhead. County data is a starting point rather than a guarantee. Fish Lac en Dentelle where the bottom changes rather than where it looks deep.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Between January at about -16°C and July at about 17°C, the water has a wide range to work through. The window is narrow, and fish feed hard while it lasts. The freeze runs deep into the year, with break-up near early May. On average, early May opens the water and mid November closes it again. From the thaw to midsummer the fishing improves week by week. On Lac en Dentelle the same rules apply, with local timing.

• Tackle & Baits

  There is no clear statement anywhere on who can fish it. Access points are not mapped for this water, which suits people who like quiet. A wire trace and a big bright lure handle the pike; deep water asks for a heavier spoon. Where the road in crosses private land, ask first. Close seasons apply to some species and not others. For a change of water, Lac Quessy is 0.4 km distant. Where Lac en Dentelle is concerned, a local answer beats a written one.