Fishing Lac Enval in Abitibi-Témiscamingue, Quebec

• Overview

  Lac Enval sits in Abitibi-Témiscamingue, out in Quebec. The setting is lake country bush. Surface area runs to about 10 hectares — small enough to read in one session. Around 1.8 km of margin, front to back. The nearest place of any size is Saint-Boniface, 112 km away. For a city, Gatineau is 219 km off. Neighbouring water: Lac Pitet after 0.9 km, Lac Crozat some 0.9 km off, Lac Limal after 1 km, Lac Racemeux some 1.1 km off and Lac Moule after 1.5 km. There is no boundary nearby to worry about.

• Where to Fish on Lac Enval

  No depth figure appears in our records, so the bank has to tell you. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. Records held for Abitibi-Témiscamingue cover northern pike, yellow perch, walleye, white sucker and brown bullhead. Those are county-wide records, so not every one of them will be in this water. The shape of Lac Enval rewards a slow walk along one bank.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Averages here run 17°C at the top of summer and -16°C at the bottom of winter. Seasons are distinct, and each one fishes differently. Once it clears, about early May, the fishing comes on quickly. The season between ice runs from about early May to late November. The open run goes from the thaw to the freeze, and April through October covers most of it. On Lac Enval the same rules apply, with local timing.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether the bank is open is not something our records settle. No dam controls it, and the level follows the season. There is no mapped parking or launch nearby, which keeps numbers down. For the pike, wire up and throw larger lures along the weed edges. Ask in the nearest town if you are unsure. Some ground is open by custom rather than by right, so tread carefully. Should this one be busy, Lac Pitet is 0.9 km off. Where Lac Enval is concerned, a local answer beats a written one.