Fishing Lac Benoit in Nord-du-Québec, Quebec

• Overview

  Out in Nord-du-Québec, Quebec, sits Lac Benoit. Salt water lies 18 km off. It measures some 6.16 sq km, and wind has room to build across it. The shoreline runs to about 28 km, far more than one trip can cover. It is one of the larger waters we list anywhere in Quebec. For a base, Chisasibi sits 164 km out. Beyond it, Sanikiluaq at 184 km and Inukjuak at 373 km. The nearest boundary is well away, so one set of rules covers the water.

• Where to Fish on Lac Benoit

  No depth figure has reached our records, which makes a plummet useful. Bays and points beat straight shoreline every time on water like this. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. Records held for Nord-du-Québec cover Arctic charr, brook trout, lake trout and lake whitefish. Records at county level tell you what is around, not what is stocked here. At Lac Benoit the first feature you find is worth twenty minutes.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The range across the year is -24°C to 13°C. Long winters and short summers set the pattern. Ice-out usually falls in late May, and the weeks after it fish hardest. On average, late May opens the water and early November closes it again. June through September is the settled part of the year, with the shoulders busier for fish. Time your trip to Lac Benoit by conditions rather than dates.

• Tackle & Baits

  The paperwork position is blank for this one. It formed naturally, so levels move with rainfall rather than with a gate. Public data shows nothing built here, so treat the whole approach as informal. For the trout, small spinners and a box of nymphs cover both approaches. A landowner's word beats anything printed elsewhere. Fishing rules and camping rules are set separately here. Lac Wiyawachikamaw, 17 km away, makes the obvious fallback. Check the position on Lac Benoit before loading the car.