Fishing at Lac a l'Eau Froide, Nord-du-Québec, Quebec

• Overview

  Lac a l'Eau Froide sits in Nord-du-Québec, out in Quebec. It stands 470 metres above sea level. Surface area runs to some 25.14 sq km, so a boat and a plan are both worth having. There is roughly 39 km of bank, and each arm behaves like its own water. On our Nord-du-Québec list it sits near the top for size. Mistissini is the closest place, 113 km off. Saguenay sits 291 km out, and it is the nearest city worth the name. There is no boundary nearby to worry about.

• Where to Fish on Lac a l'Eau Froide

  Depth figures are not published for this one. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. Bays and points beat straight shoreline every time on water like this. Public occurrence data for Nord-du-Québec names Arctic charr, brook trout, lake trout and lake whitefish. The county list is broader than any single water. The shape of Lac a l'Eau Froide decides where the fish sit.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Average temperature peaks around 15°C in July and bottoms out near -21°C in January. The season is measured in weeks rather than months. Count the season from break-up, usually mid May. The water is typically free of ice between mid May and early November. The weeks after the thaw and the ones before the freeze are the strongest. Plan any trip to Lac a l'Eau Froide around it.

• Tackle & Baits

  There is no clear statement anywhere on who can fish it. Records list it as a natural water body rather than an impoundment. No made access is recorded, so a short walk in is the likely arrangement. For the trout, small spinners and a box of nymphs cover both approaches. Some banks are open only from a marked point. Access can change hands, so last year's answer may not hold. Petit lac De Vau, 11 km away, makes the obvious fallback. Where Lac a l'Eau Froide is concerned, a local answer beats a written one.