Lac Canotte in Côte-Nord: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  In Quebec, Lac Canotte falls inside Côte-Nord. The coast is 36 km away. Small at around 3 hectares: two anglers spread out cover most of it. Our Côte-Nord list holds plenty of bigger water. Port-Cartier is the closest place, 44 km off. Then Saint-Alexandre, 45 km, and Sept-Îles, 49 km. Others worth noting: Lac Pierriche out at 2.7 km, Lac Pouchon 2.7 km, Lac Tempscouvert out at 3.4 km, Lac Siffleux 3.7 km and Lac Labroche out at 4.5 km. It sits well inside the county, so one set of rules covers it.

• Where to Fish on Lac Canotte

  Depth is not on record here, so the bank has to tell you. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. Across Côte-Nord, recorded fish include logperch. Species recorded across the county may be limited to a few waters. Treat Lac Canotte as a water to read rather than to cover.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Climate normals give 15°C for July and -17°C for January. The ice season is long here and the open one short. The open season starts with the thaw, near enough early May. Going by climate averages, expect open water from about early May until roughly mid November. September and October fish steadily right up to the freeze. At Lac Canotte the season follows that pattern closely.

• Tackle & Baits

  Public data does not answer the access question here. No car park, ramp or path is recorded within easy reach of the shore. For the perch, a small jig tipped with worm, dropped along the edges, is hard to beat. Rules for this water may differ from the county norm. Barbless rules turn up on managed water more often than not. If the gate is shut, Lac Pierriche at 2.7 km is the nearest alternative. Signs at Lac Canotte carry more weight than any list.