Etang Chicotte in Côte-Nord: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Quebec holds Etang Chicotte, in Côte-Nord. What surrounds it is mixed forest. It is low-lying compared with other Quebec water we list. The nearest town is Gaspé, 115 km away. Sydney sits 409 km out, and it is the nearest city worth the name. Also worth knowing: Lac Jolliet (17 km), 21 km out stands Lac Francois-Belanger, Lac Marie-Guyon (21 km), 21 km out stands Lac Martin and Etang Gregoire (24 km). The nearest boundary is well away, so one set of rules covers the water.

• Where to Fish on Etang Chicotte

  No published figure covers depth, so learn it as you fish. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. Species logged across Côte-Nord include logperch. What holds for the county may not hold for this water. At Etang Chicotte light and wind decide more than tackle does.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Averages move between -12°C in January and 16°C in July. A full turn of seasons, with the strongest sport on either side of summer. Count the season from break-up, usually early May. Ice clears near early May and comes back about late November in a typical year. Fish feed hardest at the start and the close of the open season. It holds true on Etang Chicotte more years than not.

• Tackle & Baits

  Access is not recorded for this water. We find no slipway, car park or made path within a short radius, so treat access as rough. For the perch, a small jig tipped with worm, dropped along the edges, is hard to beat. Local rules can differ across the county line, so check where you stand. Some water is controlled locally without a sign saying so. Lac Jolliet sits 17 km off and takes the overflow. What applies at Etang Chicotte may have changed since it was mapped.