Fishing at Lac Lemay, Abitibi-Témiscamingue, Quebec

• Overview

  In Quebec, Lac Lemay falls inside Abitibi-Témiscamingue. The setting is rolling bush. Roughly 22 hectares: a morning covers one end, an afternoon the other. Shoreline comes to about 2.8 km, small enough to learn in a day. For a base, Notre-Dame-du-Lac sits 85 km out. Témiscaming lies 90 km off, Saint-Isidore another 92 km. The nearest edge is a long way off, so local rules apply throughout.

• Where to Fish on Lac Lemay

  Depth figures are not published for this one. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. Open biodiversity records for Abitibi-Témiscamingue list northern pike, yellow perch, walleye, white sucker and brown bullhead. These are county-wide records, so not all of them will be in this water. On Lac Lemay the obvious spot is not always the productive one.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Averages move between -15°C in January and 17°C in July. A solid cap is the normal state through winter. The lid arrives early and lasts until roughly late April. Going by climate averages, expect open water from about late April until roughly late November. Late spring and early autumn carry the year between them. Plan around that when you fish Lac Lemay.

• Tackle & Baits

  Ownership and access are not documented in what we hold. It formed naturally, so levels move with rainfall rather than with a gate. Nothing built is recorded close to the bank here. Pike mean a wire trace, no exceptions; big spoons and jerkbaits do the searching. Rules differ from one water to the next round here. Some water is controlled locally without a sign saying so. Should this one be busy, Lac Gody is 2.5 km off. Confirm access to Lac Lemay locally before you travel.