Fishing at Lac Rajah, Abitibi-Témiscamingue, Quebec

• Overview

  The Abitibi-Témiscamingue end of Quebec holds Lac Rajah. What surrounds it is lake country bush. With some 19 hectares of water, there is room for a boat but no need of one. Shoreline comes to about 4.4 km, small enough to learn in a day. 109 km away sits Val-d'Or, the nearest town. Further out sit Deep River (118 km) and Malartic (122 km). This one is safely inside the county line.

• Where to Fish on Lac Rajah

  No depth figure appears in our records, so the bank has to tell you. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. This is a lake, so the margins and the first drop matter most. Species logged across Abitibi-Témiscamingue include northern pike, yellow perch, walleye and white sucker. Species recorded across the county may be limited to a few waters. Work Lac Rajah in sections rather than trying to cover it.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Climate normals give 17°C for July and -16°C for January. Cold locks it up for a good stretch each year. The lid usually goes in late April, which opens the strongest weeks of the year. On the long-run averages the water opens up around late April and starts locking again about late November. Reckon on open water from spring through to late autumn, with May and June the strongest. On Lac Rajah that shapes the whole year.

• Tackle & Baits

  The rules here are undocumented as far as public sources go. Records list it as a natural water body rather than an impoundment. Mapping records no facilities at all near this water. For the pike, wire up and throw larger lures along the weed edges. Provincial rules still apply whatever the bank status. Where parking is tight, arriving early solves most problems. Lac Nankin, 0.6 km away, makes the obvious fallback. Check the position on Lac Rajah before loading the car.