Lac Bill Fishing near Port-Cartier, Quebec

• Overview

  Côte-Nord, Quebec, is where Lac Bill sits. The setting is spruce and muskeg on every side. Surface area runs to about 2 hectares — small enough to read in one session. On size it sits at the modest end of our Côte-Nord list. Nearest town is Port-Cartier, 33 km off. The nearest city of size is Saguenay, 325 km away. It sits well inside the county, so one set of rules covers it.

• Where to Fish on Lac Bill

  Depth figures are not published for this one. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. Across Côte-Nord, recorded fish include logperch. Records at this level tell you what is in the area. The shape of Lac Bill decides where the fish sit.

• Seasonal Patterns

  On the long-term average, July reads 16°C and January reads -16°C. This is a two-season water: locked, then wide open. Ice-out usually falls in early May, and the weeks after it fish hardest. Break-up near early May, freeze-up near mid November: that is the shape of an average year. The shoulder weeks of the open season are the productive ones. Time your trip to Lac Bill by conditions rather than dates.

• Tackle & Baits

  Ownership and access are not documented in what we hold. Access is unmapped, which usually means a farm track and a walk. Perch take small lures and worms fished near the bottom close to structure. Where a permit is needed, the nearest town usually sells it. Keep proof of licence with you rather than in the car. Should this one be busy, Lac Yam is 0.8 km off. Check the current arrangement for Lac Bill.