Lac Chisapaw Fishing Guide, Nord-du-Québec, Quebec

• Overview

  Set in Nord-du-Québec, Quebec, this is Lac Chisapaw. Around the bank it is taiga. About 1.21 sq km, so local knowledge or a boat saves a lot of walking. Some 12 km of bank gives room to move when the wind turns. It lies lower than most water we list in Quebec. Chisasibi sits 213 km from the bank. For a city, Saguenay is 815 km off. It sits well inside the county, so one set of rules covers it.

• Where to Fish on Lac Chisapaw

  Our records carry no depth, so judge it from the bank. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. Reported across Nord-du-Québec: Arctic charr, brook trout, lake trout and lake whitefish. County records show the wider picture rather than this one place. Lac Chisapaw gives up its fish to patience rather than distance.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The warm month here averages 14°C; the cold one sits at -23°C. Ice holds for a long stretch, so the open weeks matter more here than further south. Break-up comes around late May, and the run that follows is short and strong. On the long-run averages the water opens up around late May and starts locking again about early November. The first weeks of open water and the last are the ones to plan for. The season on Lac Chisapaw follows the weather closely.

• Tackle & Baits

  Public data does not answer the access question here. This is a natural basin, not a dammed one. Access is unmapped, which usually means a farm track and a walk. Trout here take small spinners, spoons and, where fly water allows, a nymph or dry. Take the rules with you rather than trusting memory. Fishing rules and camping rules are set separately here. Should this one be busy, Lac Chisapaw Mani is 2.2 km off. Signs at Lac Chisapaw carry more weight than any list.