Fishing Lac Caupichigau in Nord-du-Québec, Quebec

• Overview

  Set in Nord-du-Québec, Quebec, this is Lac Caupichigau. The ground round it is northern bush. Surface area runs to some 14.42 sq km, so a boat and a plan are both worth having. The shoreline runs to about 104 km, far more than one trip can cover. It ranks high for size among our Nord-du-Québec listings. The town to know is Waswanipi, 58 km out. It is 376 km to Saguenay, the nearest city. No county line comes close, which keeps the paperwork simple.

• Where to Fish on Lac Caupichigau

  Depth is unknown to us, and the shoreline is the better guide. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. Bays and points beat straight shoreline every time on water like this. Nord-du-Québec records list Arctic charr, brook trout, lake trout and lake whitefish among the fish reported. What holds for the county may not hold for this water. On Lac Caupichigau that means starting tight and working out.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Climate records put July near 16°C and January near -20°C. This far north the hard season runs and runs. Hard cover is dependable here; it goes around early May. The season between ice runs from about early May to mid November. The open run goes from the thaw to the freeze, and April through October covers most of it. At Lac Caupichigau the season follows that pattern closely.

• Tackle & Baits

  The access position is unclear from public sources. No dam controls it, and the level follows the season. Access points are not mapped for this water, which suits people who like quiet. For the trout, small spinners and a box of nymphs cover both approaches. Rules differ from one water to the next round here. Some stretches are reserved and marked as such on the ground. Lac de la Pessiere sits 5.5 km off and takes the overflow. Signs at Lac Caupichigau carry more weight than any list.