Fishing at Lac Bonfait, Nord-du-Québec, Quebec

• Overview

  The Nord-du-Québec entry here is Lac Bonfait, in Quebec. What surrounds it is boreal forest. It covers about 16.63 sq km, which means weather matters as much as tactics. The outline measures near 92 km, so a boat opens up water the bank never reaches. It is among the larger waters listed here for Nord-du-Québec. Chisasibi lies 163 km from the water. It is 681 km to Saguenay, the nearest city. No border sits close enough to matter.

• Where to Fish on Lac Bonfait

  There is no recorded depth, so work from what you can see. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. Reported across Nord-du-Québec: Arctic charr, brook trout, lake trout, lake whitefish and cisco. County records show the wider picture rather than this one place. Work Lac Bonfait in sections rather than trying to cover it.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The warmest month averages 14°C, the coldest about -21°C. Cold dominates the year and the fishing works around it. Ice-out usually falls in mid May, and the weeks after it fish hardest. The season between ice runs from about mid May to mid November. September and October fish steadily right up to the freeze. Lac Bonfait runs to its own calendar within the local pattern.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing in our records says who may fish here. This is a natural basin, not a dammed one. Access points are not mapped for this water, which suits people who like quiet. Trout here take small spinners, spoons and, where fly water allows, a nymph or dry. Rules differ from one water to the next round here. Some stretches are reserved and marked as such on the ground. Lac De Vaulx sits 21 km off and takes the overflow. Confirm before you fish Lac Bonfait.