Lac Philippe Fishing Guide, Abitibi-Témiscamingue, Quebec

• Overview

  Within Abitibi-Témiscamingue, Quebec, you have Lac Philippe. It lies 415 metres above sea level. The water covers some 59 hectares, so pick a bank rather than trying to cover it all. With 6.6 km or so of shoreline, boat anglers cover ground the bank cannot. Few waters listed in Abitibi-Témiscamingue are bigger. Leblanc at 105 km is the nearest place to stop. It is 311 km to Gatineau, the nearest city. It sits well inside the county, so one set of rules covers it.

• Where to Fish on Lac Philippe

  Depth here is unknown, so count the lead down before committing. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. Species logged across Abitibi-Témiscamingue include 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 Philippe the obvious spot is not always the productive one.

• Seasonal Patterns

  July runs about 17°C on average, January about -18°C. Long winters and short summers set the pattern. Once it clears, about early May, the fishing comes on quickly. Ice usually gives way near early May, and forms again about mid November. From the thaw to midsummer the fishing improves week by week. It sets the rhythm of the year at Lac Philippe.

• Tackle & Baits

  We have no record of the rules that apply on this bank. No dam controls it, and the level follows the season. There is no mapped parking or launch nearby, which keeps numbers down. Pike mean a wire trace, no exceptions; big spoons and jerkbaits do the searching. Parking is often the real limit rather than the bank itself. Rules for boats are stricter than rules for the bank in many places. The nearest alternative is Lac Therese, 1.6 km out. What applies at Lac Philippe may have changed since it was mapped.