Ice fishing for trout: A first for Val-d’Or
Rainbow trout fishing at Lac des Sœurs is a well-known summer tradition, especially during the Fête de la pêche in June, when the Val-d’Or Hunting and Fishing Association stocks the lake for the occasion. In our area, trout season usually runs from late April to mid-September, but this February, the Association is breaking with tradition (and the ice).
For the first time ever in winter, the Val-d’Or Hunting and Fishing Association will introduce more than 400 youth to ice fishing. The introduction, to be held from February 8 to 12, 2023, is part of the Pêche en herbe program and ties into the City of Val-d’Or’s Hiver en Fête celebrations.
The days of February 8, 9 and 10 are reserved for Grade 5 students from 6 preregistered elementary schools. On February 11 and 12, the Association will welcome anyone 17 and under who registers at the heated tent between 10:30 a.m. and 4 p.m., with a dedicated area of the lake set aside for them. On those same two days, families with children under 17 and the general public are also welcome to fish for free (a Quebec fishing licence is still required). The public will have open access to the Lac des Sœurs, provided they bring and manage their own fishing gear.
With authorization from the Ministère de l’Environnement, de la Lutte contre les Changements Climatiques, de la Faune et des Parcs (MELCCFP), every child taking part in the Association’s workshops will receive a Pêche en herbe certificate, which doubles as their fishing licence until they turn 18. All 400 young participants will also get a 15% discount coupon for fishing gear at Val-d’Or’s Canadian Tire.
Snowmobiles won’t be allowed on the lake, for safety reasons and to keep things calm for both trout and anglers. Wildlife officers will be on site to help enforce winter fishing rules, including the daily limit of 5 trout per licence holder.
For this special event, more than 3,000 rainbow trout will be stocked in the lake, an effort by the Association to encourage youth and their families to take up fishing. Anglers are asked to register their catch with volunteers on site. The information collected will help shape June 2023’s Fête de la pêche event.
Questions? Contact the Val-d’Or Hunting and Fishing Association at 819-856-5140