Lac Athainas Fishing in Nord-du-Québec, Quebec

• Overview

  Lac Athainas lies in Nord-du-Québec, in Quebec. Around the bank it is boreal forest. It measures about 79 hectares, which is a comfortable size for bank fishing. At about 8.9 km of edge, most people work one arm at a time. Chibougamau sits 56 km from here and is the nearest stop. It is 238 km to Saguenay, the nearest city. The county line is nowhere near, so one local authority covers the water.

• Where to Fish on Lac Athainas

  Depth is unknown to us, and the shoreline is the better guide. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. Across Nord-du-Québec, recorded fish include Arctic charr, brook trout, lake trout and lake whitefish. Those are county-wide records, so not every one of them will be in this water. At Lac Athainas the water rewards a slow, careful approach.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Averages here run 16°C at the top of summer and -19°C at the bottom of winter. The ice season is long here and the open one short. Ice is part of the season here, ending near early May. Ice clears near early May and comes back about mid November in a typical year. Just after the ice goes and just before it returns, the fishing lifts. On Lac Athainas that shapes the whole year.

• Tackle & Baits

  Ownership and access are not documented in what we hold. It formed naturally, so levels move with rainfall rather than with a gate. Nothing is mapped in the way of a ramp or car park within a short radius. Trout here take small spinners, spoons and, where fly water allows, a nymph or dry. Bank access can be seasonal on ground like this. Where the way in crosses private ground, ask first. Failing this one, try Lac Ymer, 0.5 km away. For Lac Athainas, the notice at the access point is the final word.