Petit lac Shannon in Abitibi-Témiscamingue: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Petit lac Shannon is an Abitibi-Témiscamingue water, Quebec side. The surroundings are boreal forest. With some 49 hectares of water, there is room for a boat but no need of one. With 8.1 km or so of shoreline, boat anglers cover ground the bank cannot. The closest town, Senneterre, is 112 km away. The big place round here is Gatineau, 278 km distant. No county line comes close, which keeps the paperwork simple.

• Where to Fish on Petit lac Shannon

  Nothing we hold settles how deep this runs. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. Fish documented in Abitibi-Témiscamingue include northern pike, yellow perch and walleye. What holds for the county may not hold for this water. Read Petit lac Shannon before you fish it and the day goes better.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Long-run averages give July about 16°C and January about -18°C. The fishing year opens late and shuts early. The open season starts with the thaw, near enough early May. Climate averages put the opening at about early May and the closing near mid November. Right after break-up, and again as the nights sharpen, is when to go. Petit lac Shannon runs to its own calendar within the local pattern.

• Tackle & Baits

  The paperwork position is blank for this one. This is a natural basin, not a dammed one. Public mapping records no formal access here, so plan for a walk and soft ground. For the pike, wire up and throw larger lures along the weed edges. Ask in the nearest town if you are unsure. Night access is frequently treated as a separate matter. If the gate is shut, Lac Whip at 1.5 km is the nearest alternative. What applies at Petit lac Shannon may have changed since it was mapped.