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

• Overview

  This water sits in Abitibi-Témiscamingue, Quebec. It lies 365 metres above sea level. It covers about 3 hectares, so this is small water you can walk round in under an hour. Most waters listed here for Abitibi-Témiscamingue are larger. Start from Val-d'Or, 69 km down the road. Further out sit Senneterre (76 km) and Barraute (90 km). Rules here are straightforward: one set of provincial rules.

• Where to Fish on Lac Lavis

  No depth figure has reached our records, which makes a plummet useful. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. Survey and observation records for Abitibi-Témiscamingue include northern pike, yellow perch, walleye, white sucker and brown bullhead. Take it as the county picture rather than a promise for this water. Lac Lavis fishes better once you know its edges.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The year swings from about -16°C in January to roughly 17°C in July. Cold dominates the year and the fishing works around it. The freeze runs deep into the year, with break-up near early May. Climate averages put the opening at about early May and the closing near mid November. May into June fishes hardest, and September gives a second good stretch before the lid returns. It sets the rhythm of the year at Lac Lavis.

• Tackle & Baits

  The paperwork position is blank for this one. Nothing built is recorded close to the bank here. For the pike, wire up and throw larger lures along the weed edges. Rules for this water may differ from the county norm. Barbless rules turn up on managed water more often than not. Failing this one, try Lac Ocana, 0.7 km away. Signs at Lac Lavis carry more weight than any list.