Fishing Lac Sageau in Abitibi-Témiscamingue, Quebec

• Overview

  Set in Abitibi-Témiscamingue, Quebec, this is Lac Sageau. Boreal forest runs right down to the water. Around 11 hectares of surface means several distinct areas to work. The bank runs about 2.0 km all the way round, so one visit can cover most of it. Nearest town is Senneterre, 91 km off. Val-d'Or is 96 km and Barraute 111 km. The nearest boundary is a fair way off.

• Where to Fish on Lac Sageau

  Without a survey to go on, judge depth from how the bank falls away. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. Records held for Abitibi-Témiscamingue cover northern pike, yellow perch and walleye. These are county-wide records, so not all of them will be in this water. Read Lac Sageau for ten minutes before the first cast goes out.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The warmest month averages 17°C, the coldest about -17°C. This far north the hard season runs and runs. Ice-out usually falls in early May, and the weeks after it fish hardest. The season between ice runs from about early May to mid November. Right after break-up, and again as the nights sharpen, is when to go. The season on Lac Sageau follows the weather closely.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether the bank is open is not something our records settle. It formed naturally, so levels move with rainfall rather than with a gate. There is no mapped parking or launch close by, which usually means walking in. A wire trace and a big bright lure handle the pike; deep water asks for a heavier spoon. Rules differ from one water to the next round here. Check whether bait restrictions apply before you buy any. The nearest alternative is Lac Bambou, 0.6 km out. The position on Lac Sageau is worth confirming on the day.