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

• Overview

  This water sits in Nord-du-Québec, Quebec. It sits in northern bush. The water covers some 80 hectares, so pick a bank rather than trying to cover it all. The shoreline runs about 5.4 km, so it pays to pick a stretch and stay with it. Chapais sits 45 km from here and is the nearest stop. Beyond it, Waswanipi at 53 km and Chibougamau at 83 km. No county line comes close, which keeps the paperwork simple.

• Where to Fish on Lac Bona

  Depth remains unrecorded, so treat the first session as a survey. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. Nord-du-Québec records list Arctic charr, brook trout, lake trout and lake whitefish among the fish reported. The list covers the county rather than this water alone, so treat it as a guide. Lac Bona fishes better once you know its edges.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The seasonal spread runs -19°C to 16°C. The window is narrow, and fish feed hard while it lasts. Break-up comes around early May, and the run that follows is short and strong. Open water usually runs from early May until about mid November. September and October fish steadily right up to the freeze. It holds true on Lac Bona more years than not.

• Tackle & Baits

  Public sources are silent on who controls the bank. Records list it as a natural water body rather than an impoundment. We find no slipway, car park or made path within a short radius, so treat access as rough. Trout here take small spinners, spoons and, where fly water allows, a nymph or dry. Gates get locked out of season on water like this. Some ground is open by custom rather than by right, so tread carefully. Lac Maxwell at 1.3 km is the sensible second choice. Treat access at Lac Bona as something to verify.