Lac Barthelemy Fishing in Nord-du-Québec, Quebec

• Overview

  Look for Lac Barthelemy in the Nord-du-Québec part of Quebec. The water sits 424 metres up. Surface area runs to roughly 3.23 sq km, so plan for one area rather than the whole. The perimeter runs near 13 km, so plan the walk before you start. For a base, Chibougamau sits 42 km out. For a city, Saguenay is 250 km off. This one is safely inside the county line.

• Where to Fish on Lac Barthelemy

  We hold no survey for this water; read the slope of the shoreline instead. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. Public occurrence data for Nord-du-Québec names Arctic charr, brook trout, lake trout, lake whitefish and cisco. County data is a starting point rather than a guarantee. On Lac Barthelemy the obvious spot is not always the productive one.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Long-run averages give July about 16°C and January about -19°C. This far north the hard season runs and runs. After early May the shallows warm and the fish move up. On the long-run averages the water opens up around early May and starts locking again about mid November. From the thaw to midsummer the fishing improves week by week. That is the shape of the year on Lac Barthelemy.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing we hold confirms whether access is permitted. No dam controls it, and the level follows the season. 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. Sort the permit out before you load the car. A polite question at the farm gate opens more banks than anything else. Failing this one, try Lac Augias, 1.7 km away. Confirm before you fish Lac Barthelemy.