Fishing at Lac Gauvin, Abitibi-Témiscamingue, Quebec

• Overview

  The Abitibi-Témiscamingue end of Quebec holds Lac Gauvin. It stands 310 metres above sea level. It measures some 1.14 sq km, and wind has room to build across it. The perimeter runs near 8.6 km, so plan the walk before you start. On our Abitibi-Témiscamingue list it sits near the top for size. Amos lies 6.4 km from the water. It is 315 km to Greater Sudbury, the nearest city. It sits well inside its county, with no border complications.

• Where to Fish on Lac Gauvin

  Our records hold no depth for this water. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. Bays and points beat straight shoreline every time on water like this. County-wide records name 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. Treat Lac Gauvin as a water to read rather than to cover.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Long-run averages give July about 17°C and January about -18°C. Long winters and short summers set the pattern. Count on hard cover from midwinter, and open water from early May. Break-up near early May, freeze-up near mid November: that is the shape of an average year. The first weeks of open water and the last are the ones to plan for. Plan around that when you fish Lac Gauvin.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether the bank is open is not something our records settle. It formed naturally, so levels move with rainfall rather than with a gate. Mapping shows no built access close by; expect to walk in from wherever you can leave the car. 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. Night access is frequently treated as a separate matter. Lac Georges, 2.3 km away, makes the obvious fallback. Treat access at Lac Gauvin as something to verify.