Fishing at Lac Yonne, Abitibi-Témiscamingue, Quebec

• Overview

  Lac Yonne is one of the Abitibi-Témiscamingue listings for Quebec. It lies 391 metres above sea level. At 3 hectares it is the sort of place you fish for an evening rather than a day. On size it sits at the modest end of our Abitibi-Témiscamingue list. Val-d'Or at 63 km is the nearest place to stop. Senneterre follows at 64 km, then Barraute at 80 km. It sits well inside its county, with no border complications.

• Where to Fish on Lac Yonne

  There is no published depth for this one, so start shallow and work out. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. Open biodiversity records for Abitibi-Témiscamingue list northern pike, yellow perch, walleye and white sucker. What holds for the county may not hold for this water. Lac Yonne gives up its fish to patience rather than distance.

• Seasonal Patterns

  July is the warm end of the year here, averaging about 17°C, while January sits near -17°C. A short, intense season is the rule this far north. Winter fishing happens on the ice here, with open water back around early May. From about early May to around mid November, expect open water on the long-run figures. The strong weeks are the first after break-up and the last before the freeze. The season on Lac Yonne rarely departs from it.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing on record says whether the bank is open or closed. Overnight stays are possible about 1.2 km out, where camping is mapped. For the pike, wire up and throw larger lures along the weed edges. Gates get locked out of season on water like this. Some stretches are reserved and marked as such on the ground. For a change of water, Lac Parasol is 1.1 km distant. The position on Lac Yonne is worth confirming on the day.