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

• Overview

  Quebec holds Lac Chartes, in Nord-du-Québec. The setting is boreal forest. Roughly 69 hectares: a morning covers one end, an afternoon the other. The margin runs to about 6.1 km in total. The closest town, Mistissini, is 158 km distant. After that come Chibougamau at 223 km and Chapais at 257 km. It sits well inside its county, with no border complications.

• Where to Fish on Lac Chartes

  Depth is not on record here, so the bank has to tell you. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. Bays and points beat straight shoreline every time on water like this. Species logged across Nord-du-Québec include Arctic charr, brook trout, lake trout and lake whitefish. These are county-wide records, so not all of them will be in this water. Lac Chartes gives up more to patience than to distance.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Seasonal averages run from -21°C in January up to 15°C in July. Little of the calendar is open water, so timing counts for everything. Expect a solid lid for months and a thaw around mid May. In an average year the thaw lands around mid May and the freeze near early November. May into June fishes hardest, and September gives a second good stretch before the lid returns. Anyone fishing Lac Chartes regularly works to that calendar.

• Tackle & Baits

  We have no record of the rules that apply on this bank. It formed naturally, so levels move with rainfall rather than with a gate. No launch point is recorded nearby, so this is a bank water unless you carry a boat in. Light line and small metal for the trout; a fly rod earns its place on calm evenings. Ask in the nearest town if you are unsure. Access can change hands, so last year's answer may not hold. Lac Pistache sits 25 km off and takes the overflow. Signs at Lac Chartes carry more weight than any list.