Fishing at Lac a la Baleine, Côte-Nord, Quebec

• Overview

  In Quebec, Lac a la Baleine belongs to Côte-Nord. It sits in spruce and muskeg country. It measures some 1.10 sq km, and wind has room to build across it. At about 5.1 km of edge, most people work one arm at a time. It lies lower than most water we list in Quebec. The closest town, Baie-Comeau, is 53 km away. Saguenay is the closest city, 250 km away. It sits well inside its county, with no border complications.

• Where to Fish on Lac a la Baleine

  Our records hold no depth for this water. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. Bays and points beat straight shoreline every time on water like this. Public occurrence data for Côte-Nord names logperch. What holds for the county may not hold for this water. The shape of Lac a la Baleine rewards a slow walk along one bank.

• Seasonal Patterns

  July runs about 16°C on average, January about -17°C. Ice holds for a long stretch, so the open weeks matter more here than further south. Winter locks it down, and early May brings it back. Break-up sits around early May on average, with the water closing again about mid November. The shoulder weeks of the open season are the productive ones. It sets the rhythm of the year at Lac a la Baleine.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing in our records says who may fish here. It formed naturally, so levels move with rainfall rather than with a gate. Formal access is not mapped, so the last stretch is likely on foot. For the perch, a small jig tipped with worm, dropped along the edges, is hard to beat. Read any posted signs at the access point rather than assuming. Signs go up and come down, so check on the day. Lac au Loup sits 2.4 km off and takes the overflow. Treat access at Lac a la Baleine as something to verify.