Lac Jacques Fishing near Senneterre, Quebec

• Overview

  Look for Lac Jacques in Abitibi-Témiscamingue, Quebec. Around the bank it is northern bush. Nearest place of any size is Leblanc, 113 km away. Gatineau sits 280 km out, and it is the nearest city worth the name. Also on the doorstep: Lac du Bout 1.4 km, 1.6 km away is Lac Jean, Lac Shannon 1.9 km, 2.4 km away is Lac Castor and Lac Paste 2.5 km. The nearest edge is a long way off, so local rules apply throughout.

• Where to Fish on Lac Jacques

  We hold no depth figure for this one. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. Species logged across Abitibi-Témiscamingue include northern pike, yellow perch, walleye, white sucker and brown bullhead. The county list is broader than any single water. Anyone new to Lac Jacques should walk it once before setting up.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Temperature averages peak at 16°C in July and bottom out at -18°C in January. Winter owns most of the year at this latitude. The lid usually goes in early May, which opens the strongest weeks of the year. The lid tends to go about early May and return around mid November. Reckon on open water from spring through to late autumn, with May and June the strongest. It holds true on Lac Jacques more years than not.

• Tackle & Baits

  No access rule appears in what we hold. Nothing built is recorded close to the bank here. Pike mean a wire trace, no exceptions; big spoons and jerkbaits do the searching. Sort the permit out before you load the car. Where the way in crosses private ground, ask first. Failing this one, try Lac du Bout, 1.4 km away. For Lac Jacques in particular, ask before you travel.