Lac Barou in Nord-du-Québec: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Lac Barou is listed under Nord-du-Québec, Quebec. The surface lies 534 metres up. About 2.44 sq km, so local knowledge or a boat saves a lot of walking. You are looking at roughly 12 km of shoreline, with plenty of water between access points. It sits higher than most water we list in Quebec. For supplies, Mistissini is 227 km out. Saguenay is the closest city, 428 km away. The nearest boundary is well away, so one set of rules covers the water.

• Where to Fish on Lac Barou

  No chart reached our records; the first cast is your sounding. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. Nord-du-Québec records list Arctic charr, brook trout, lake trout and lake whitefish among the fish reported. Those are county-wide records, so not every one of them will be in this water. Read Lac Barou for ten minutes before the first cast goes out.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Average temperature peaks around 14°C in July and bottoms out near -22°C in January. The freeze holds for the better part of the year. Winter locks it down, and mid May brings it back. On the long-run averages the water opens up around mid May and starts locking again about early November. Fish feed hardest at the start and the close of the open season. Lac Barou runs to its own calendar within the local pattern.

• Tackle & Baits

  Access status is simply unknown for this water. It formed naturally, so levels move with rainfall rather than with a gate. Mapping shows no built access close by; expect to walk in from wherever you can leave the car. Trout here take small spinners, spoons and, where fly water allows, a nymph or dry. Where access is informal, keep it that way by behaving. Signs go up and come down, so check on the day. For a change of water, Lac Tichegami is 24 km distant. Check the position on Lac Barou before loading the car.