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

• Overview

  Look for Lac Gardet in the Abitibi-Témiscamingue part of Quebec. The bank is 411 metres above sea level. It runs to roughly 45 hectares — big enough to hold fish away from the bank, small enough to learn. Bank access stretches around 3.7 km in total. Lebel-sur-Quévillon sits 84 km from the bank. Waswanipi is 104 km away, with Senneterre at 110 km. This one is safely inside the county line.

• Where to Fish on Lac Gardet

  Depth is not on record here, so the bank has to tell you. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. Species logged across Abitibi-Témiscamingue include northern pike, yellow perch, walleye and white sucker. The list covers the county rather than this water alone, so treat it as a guide. Anyone new to Lac Gardet should walk it once before setting up.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The year swings from about -19°C in January to roughly 16°C in July. The ice season is long here and the open one short. Ice-out usually falls in early May, and the weeks after it fish hardest. Open water usually runs from early May until about mid November. May into June fishes hardest, and September gives a second good stretch before the lid returns. It holds true on Lac Gardet more years than not.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether the bank is open is not something our records settle. No dam controls it, and the level follows the season. Nothing built is recorded close to the bank here. Pike mean a wire trace, no exceptions; big spoons and jerkbaits do the searching. Where a permit is needed, the nearest town usually sells it. Keep proof of licence with you rather than in the car. If the gate is shut, Lac Baruel at 1.1 km is the nearest alternative. Signs at Lac Gardet carry more weight than any list.