Lac Arquet Fishing Guide, Nord-du-Québec, Quebec

• Overview

  You will find Lac Arquet in Nord-du-Québec, Quebec. The bank gives way to northern bush. The water covers around 1.89 sq km, which puts most of it out of reach from the bank. The margin runs to about 6.5 km in total. Start from Matagami, 128 km down the road. Greater Sudbury is the closest city, 426 km away. The nearest boundary is well away, so one set of rules covers the water.

• Where to Fish on Lac Arquet

  Depth is unknown to us, and the shoreline is the better guide. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. Reported across Nord-du-Québec: Arctic charr, brook trout, lake trout and lake whitefish. What holds for the county may not hold for this water. On Lac Arquet that means starting tight and working out.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Temperature averages peak at 16°C in July and bottom out at -19°C in January. Cold dominates the calendar on water this far north. The open season starts with the thaw, near enough early May. Break-up sits around early May on average, with the water closing again about mid November. Right after break-up, and again as the nights sharpen, is when to go. Lac Arquet runs to that rhythm year in and year out.

• Tackle & Baits

  Ownership and access are not documented in what we hold. This is a natural basin, not a dammed one. No car park, ramp or path is recorded within easy reach of the shore. For the trout, small spinners and a box of nymphs cover both approaches. Check locally before you travel, because a wasted drive is a long one. Where parking is tight, arriving early solves most problems. Lac de l'Alouette sits 2 km off and takes the overflow. Check the position at Lac Arquet before loading the car.