Lac Chatillon in Nord-du-Québec: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Lac Chatillon is set in Nord-du-Québec, Quebec. The surface lies 372 metres up. Around 14.27 sq km of open water: conditions change from one end to the other. At about 125 km of edge, most people fish a single area and learn it well. It is among the larger waters listed here for Nord-du-Québec. Mistissini sits 75 km from the bank. After that come Chibougamau at 100 km and Chapais at 110 km. One jurisdiction covers this water end to end.

• Where to Fish on Lac Chatillon

  We hold no survey for this water; read the slope of the shoreline instead. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. Fish documented in Nord-du-Québec include Arctic charr, brook trout, lake trout and lake whitefish. What holds for the county may not hold for this water. The shape of Lac Chatillon rewards a slow walk along one bank.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Climate normals give 15°C for July and -20°C for January. Cold dominates the calendar on water this far north. The open season starts with the thaw, near enough mid May. On the long-run averages the water opens up around mid May and starts locking again about early November. The weeks after the thaw and the ones before the freeze are the strongest. Anyone fishing Lac Chatillon regularly works to that calendar.

• Tackle & Baits

  The rules here are undocumented as far as public sources go. Records list it as a natural water body rather than an impoundment. Public data shows nothing built here, so treat the whole approach as informal. For the trout, small spinners and a box of nymphs cover both approaches. Rules for this water may differ from the county norm. Where the way in crosses private ground, ask first. Lac Coulombe at 8.1 km is the sensible second choice. For Lac Chatillon in particular, ask before you travel.