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

• Overview

  Lac Nostoc is listed under Abitibi-Témiscamingue, Quebec. It sits in spruce and muskeg. This is a pocket water of some 2 hectares, and every part of it is reachable from the bank. Most waters listed here for Abitibi-Témiscamingue are larger. Supplies mean a trip to Val-d'Or, 70 km off. Gatineau sits 273 km out, and it is the nearest city worth the name. The nearest boundary is a fair way off.

• Where to Fish on Lac Nostoc

  Without a survey to go on, judge depth from how the bank falls away. 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. Abitibi-Témiscamingue records list northern pike, yellow perch, walleye and white sucker among the fish reported. Records at this level tell you what is in the area. Take Lac Nostoc a stretch at a time.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The warmest month averages 17°C, the coldest about -17°C. This is a two-season water: locked, then wide open. Once it clears, about early May, the fishing comes on quickly. Averages place the thaw at early May and the freeze at mid November. The strongest runs come at either end of the open season. That shapes the year on Lac Nostoc.

• Tackle & Baits

  No access rule appears in what we hold. The map shows no ramp or car park nearby, so this is a walk-in water. Pike mean a wire trace, no exceptions; big spoons and jerkbaits do the searching. Look for a notice board at the entrance. Keep proof of licence with you rather than in the car. For a change of water, Lac Capitan is 1.1 km distant. What applies at Lac Nostoc may have changed since it was mapped.