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

• Overview

  Within Nord-du-Québec, Quebec, you have Lac Chastenay. The water sits 465 metres up. At 8.49 sq km this is proper open water rather than a pond. Some 34 km of shoreline means conditions can differ from one end to the other. Size puts it in the front rank of our Nord-du-Québec list. For supplies, Labrador City is 324 km out. Saguenay is the closest city, 751 km away. Rules here are straightforward: one set of provincial rules.

• Where to Fish on Lac Chastenay

  There is no recorded depth, so work from what you can see. Bays and points beat straight shoreline every time on water like this. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. County-wide records name Arctic charr, brook trout, lake trout and lake whitefish. Records at county level tell you what is around, not what is stocked here. Fish Lac Chastenay where the bottom changes rather than where it looks deep.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Average temperature peaks around 12°C in July and bottoms out near -25°C in January. Open water arrives late and leaves early, which concentrates the fishing. Hard water holds through the cold months, breaking up near late May. On the long-run averages the water opens up around late May and starts locking again about late October. Just after the ice goes and just before it returns, the fishing lifts. Plan any trip to Lac Chastenay around it.

• Tackle & Baits

  Access is not recorded for this water. Records list it as a natural water body rather than an impoundment. Mapping shows no built access close by; expect to walk in from wherever you can leave the car. Trout here take small spinners, spoons and, where fly water allows, a nymph or dry. Ask in the nearest town if you are unsure. Some ground is open by custom rather than by right, so tread carefully. Lac Turreau sits 3.6 km off and takes the overflow. The position on Lac Chastenay is worth confirming on the day.