Lac Gelais Fishing Guide, Abitibi-Témiscamingue, Quebec

• Overview

  Set in Abitibi-Témiscamingue, Quebec, this is Lac Gelais. It sits at 403 metres above sea level. The water covers some 22 hectares, so pick a bank rather than trying to cover it all. The full circuit measures close to 3.1 km on foot. Senneterre lies 55 km from the water. After that come Barraute at 82 km and Val-d'Or at 87 km. No boundary runs near, so the local rules hold throughout.

• Where to Fish on Lac Gelais

  No depth figure has reached our records, which makes a plummet useful. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. Records held for Abitibi-Témiscamingue cover northern pike, yellow perch and walleye. Take it as the county picture rather than a promise for this water. Read Lac Gelais before you fish it and the day goes better.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Long-run averages give July about 17°C and January about -18°C. This far north the hard season runs and runs. Winter locks it down, and early May brings it back. In an average year the thaw lands around early May and the freeze near mid November. June through September is the settled part of the year, with the shoulders busier for fish. That is the shape of the year on Lac Gelais.

• Tackle & Baits

  Access is not recorded for this water. No dam controls it, and the level follows the season. Nothing is listed nearby for parking or launching a boat. For the pike, wire up and throw larger lures along the weed edges. Read any posted signs at the access point rather than assuming. Access can change hands, so last year's answer may not hold. If the gate is shut, Lac Gayhurst at 1.8 km is the nearest alternative. For Lac Gelais, the notice at the access point is the final word.