Lac Nichan, Quebec: Fishing Spots and Seasons

• Overview

  Out in Abitibi-Témiscamingue, Quebec, sits Lac Nichan. It sits at 408 metres above sea level. It covers about 2 hectares, so this is small water you can walk round in under an hour. Most waters listed here for Abitibi-Témiscamingue are larger. 68 km away sits Val-d'Or, the nearest town. Gatineau sits 266 km out, and it is the nearest city worth the name. No border sits close enough to matter.

• Where to Fish on Lac Nichan

  There is no recorded depth, so work from what you can see. Bays and points beat straight shoreline every time on water like this. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. Fish documented in Abitibi-Témiscamingue include northern pike, yellow perch, walleye and white sucker. County records show the wider picture rather than this one place. Fish Lac Nichan to its features, not to its size.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Temperature averages peak at 17°C in July and bottom out at -16°C in January. A short, intense season is the rule this far north. The open season starts with the thaw, near enough early May. The lid tends to go about early May and return around mid November. Just after the ice goes and just before it returns, the fishing lifts. On Lac Nichan that shapes the whole year.

• Tackle & Baits

  No access rule appears in what we hold. Access is unmapped, which usually means a farm track and a walk. A wire trace and a big bright lure handle the pike; deep water asks for a heavier spoon. Some banks are open only from a marked point. Keep proof of licence with you rather than in the car. Failing this one, try Lac Ravelin, 0.8 km away. None of that is settled for Lac Nichan in what we hold.