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

• Overview

  The Abitibi-Témiscamingue end of Quebec holds Lac Valentin. Rolling bush runs right down to the water. At 3 hectares it is the sort of place you fish for an evening rather than a day. Our Abitibi-Témiscamingue list holds plenty of bigger water. Val-d'Or sits 101 km from here and is the nearest stop. It is 238 km to Gatineau, the nearest city. No boundary runs near, so the local rules hold throughout.

• Where to Fish on Lac Valentin

  No figure exists for depth, so let the water show you. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. Across Abitibi-Témiscamingue, recorded fish include northern pike, yellow perch, walleye and white sucker. The county list is broader than any single water. At Lac Valentin light and wind decide more than tackle does.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Averages here run 17°C at the top of summer and -17°C at the bottom of winter. The freeze arrives properly here and holds. Winter locks it down, and early May brings it back. Average temperatures cross freezing around early May in spring and again near late November in autumn. The strong weeks are the first after break-up and the last before the freeze. Lac Valentin runs to that rhythm year in and year out.

• Tackle & Baits

  We have no record of the rules that apply on this bank. Access points are not mapped for this water, which suits people who like quiet. Pike mean a wire trace, no exceptions; big spoons and jerkbaits do the searching. Bank access can be seasonal on ground like this. Where parking is tight, arriving early solves most problems. If the gate is shut, Lac Peliade at 0.4 km is the nearest alternative. For Lac Valentin in particular, ask before you travel.