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

• Overview

  You will find Lac Long in Abitibi-Témiscamingue, Quebec. The water sits 313 metres up. At 1.41 sq km this is proper open water rather than a pond. There is roughly 13 km of bank, more than one visit can cover properly. It ranks high for size among our Abitibi-Témiscamingue listings. Notre-Dame-du-Lac at 65 km is the nearest place to stop. The big place round here is Greater Sudbury, 212 km distant. Rules here are straightforward: one set of provincial rules.

• Where to Fish on Lac Long

  Depth is unmeasured here, so let the shoreline guide you. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. Species logged across Abitibi-Témiscamingue include northern pike, yellow perch and walleye. What holds for the county may not hold for this water. On Lac Long the obvious spot is not always the productive one.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Expect July to average close to 18°C, with January the cold end at about -15°C. Hard water is a season in its own right here. Winter fishing happens on the ice here, with open water back around late April. Climate figures give an open season running late April to late November. Fishing peaks soon after break-up and again before the cold returns. Anyone fishing Lac Long regularly works to that calendar.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether the bank is open is not something our records settle. This is a natural basin, not a dammed one. Nothing is mapped in the way of a ramp or car park within a short radius. For the pike, wire up and throw larger lures along the weed edges. Check locally before you travel, because a wasted drive is a long one. Signs go up and come down, so check on the day. For a change of water, Lac du Castor Assis is 0.6 km distant. For Lac Long, the notice at the access point is the final word.