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

• Overview

  Lac Ternoise falls in Abitibi-Témiscamingue, part of Quebec. The setting is boreal forest on every side. Small at around 4 hectares: two anglers spread out cover most of it. It is a small entry by Abitibi-Témiscamingue standards. Nearest place of any size is Val-d'Or, 72 km away. After that come Senneterre at 87 km and Malartic at 93 km. Rules here are straightforward: one set of provincial rules.

• Where to Fish on Lac Ternoise

  Depth is unknown to us, and the shoreline is the better guide. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. Open biodiversity records for Abitibi-Témiscamingue list northern pike, yellow perch, walleye and white sucker. Records at this level tell you what is in the area. Lac Ternoise gives up more to patience than to distance.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Between January at about -16°C and July at about 17°C, the water has a wide range to work through. Everything is compressed into the middle of the year. Look for the thaw near early May; the fishing lifts straight after. Climate figures give an open season running early May to mid November. Look to early summer and the first cool weeks of autumn. Keep it in mind when planning a trip to Lac Ternoise.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether you may fish here is not something records settle. No slipway, car park or made path shows up nearby in mapping, so treat access as rough. Pike mean a wire trace, no exceptions; big spoons and jerkbaits do the searching. A landowner's word beats anything printed elsewhere. Check whether bait restrictions apply before you buy any. If the gate is shut, Lac Lebel at 1.2 km is the nearest alternative. Check the position on Lac Ternoise before loading the car.