Fishing Lac Cere in Nord-du-Québec, Quebec

• Overview

  The Nord-du-Québec end of Quebec holds Lac Cere. This is spruce and muskeg country. Roughly 23 hectares: a morning covers one end, an afternoon the other. The bank runs about 1.9 km all the way round, so one visit can cover most of it. Most waters listed here for Nord-du-Québec are larger. Nearest town is Waswanipi, 36 km off. Beyond it, Lebel-sur-Quévillon at 78 km and Chapais at 97 km. The county line is nowhere near, so one local authority covers the water.

• Where to Fish on Lac Cere

  No depth figure has reached our records, which makes a plummet useful. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. Reported across Nord-du-Québec: Arctic charr, brook trout and lake trout. These are county-wide records, so not all of them will be in this water. Work Lac Cere in sections rather than trying to cover it.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Temperature averages peak at 16°C in July and bottom out at -19°C in January. The ice season is long here and the open one short. The lid usually goes in early May, which opens the strongest weeks of the year. The season between ice runs from about early May to mid November. Early summer and early autumn carry the open-water season. The season on Lac Cere rarely departs from it.

• Tackle & Baits

  We hold no note on access for this one. This is a natural basin, not a dammed one. Mapping is blank for access, so scout the approach before committing the car. Light line and small metal for the trout; a fly rod earns its place on calm evenings. Rules differ from one water to the next round here. Some ground is open by custom rather than by right, so tread carefully. Lac Pretty sits 4.7 km off and takes the overflow. Where Lac Cere is concerned, a local answer beats a written one.