Le Petit Lac Fishing Guide, Abitibi-Témiscamingue, Quebec

• Overview

  Le Petit Lac is an Abitibi-Témiscamingue water, Quebec side. The country round it is pine and birch from end to end. Surface area runs to about 3 hectares — small enough to read in one session. It is one of the smaller waters we list in Abitibi-Témiscamingue. For supplies, Malartic is 29 km out. Amos lies 36 km off, Rouyn-Noranda another 45 km. The nearest boundary is well away, so one set of rules covers the water.

• Where to Fish on Le Petit Lac

  The records we hold are silent on depth, so plan to find it yourself. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. County-wide records name northern pike, yellow perch, walleye, white sucker and brown bullhead. Read it as a county summary, not a water-by-water list. Le Petit Lac gives up more to patience than to distance.

• Seasonal Patterns

  July is the warm end of the year here, averaging about 17°C, while January sits near -17°C. Seasons are distinct, and each one fishes differently. The lid usually sets by midwinter and gives way around early May. The open-water window runs from around early May to about mid November in an average year. The first weeks of open water and the last are the ones to plan for. It holds true on Le Petit Lac more years than not.

• Tackle & Baits

  We have no record of the rules that apply on this bank. The map shows no ramp or car park nearby, so this is a walk-in water. A wire trace and a big bright lure handle the pike; deep water asks for a heavier spoon. Take the rules with you rather than trusting memory. Some water is controlled locally without a sign saying so. Should this one be busy, Lac Saint-Cyr is 1 km off. Where Le Petit Lac is concerned, a local answer beats a written one.