Lac Ralant Fishing in Abitibi-Témiscamingue, Quebec

• Overview

  Abitibi-Témiscamingue in Quebec is where Lac Ralant sits. What surrounds it is taiga. At 8 hectares it is the sort of place you fish for an evening rather than a day. Shoreline comes to about 2.0 km, small enough to learn in a day. Val-d'Or lies 67 km from the water. After that come Senneterre at 73 km and Barraute at 87 km. There is no boundary nearby to worry about.

• Where to Fish on Lac Ralant

  The records we hold are silent on depth, so plan to find it yourself. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. Records held for Abitibi-Témiscamingue cover northern pike, yellow perch, walleye, white sucker and brown bullhead. County records show the wider picture rather than this one place. Lac Ralant responds to conditions more than to tactics.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Averages move between -16°C in January and 17°C in July. The fishing year opens late and shuts early. The freeze runs deep into the year, with break-up near early May. Average temperatures cross freezing around early May in spring and again near mid November in autumn. September and October fish steadily right up to the freeze. The season on Lac Ralant rarely departs from it.

• Tackle & Baits

  There is no clear statement anywhere on who can fish it. This is a natural basin, not a dammed one. No made access is recorded, so a short walk in is the likely arrangement. Pike mean a wire trace, no exceptions; big spoons and jerkbaits do the searching. A landowner's word beats anything printed elsewhere. Some water is controlled locally without a sign saying so. Lac Falgos sits 1.1 km off and takes the overflow. Check the position on Lac Ralant before loading the car.