Lac Chouinard near Betsiamites: Fishing Spots, Seasons and Access

• Overview

  Within Côte-Nord, Quebec, you have Lac Chouinard. The water sits 176 metres up. About 3 hectares of surface, which puts the far bank inside easy sight. Most waters listed here for Côte-Nord are larger. Nearest place of any size is Betsiamites, 26 km away. For a city, Saguenay is 166 km off. Other water nearby: Lac Lechasseur 2.4 km off, Lac Zelano a shade over 2.6 km, Lac Bilodeau 2.7 km off, Lac Garon a shade over 3.1 km and Lac Nagode 3.8 km off. There is no boundary nearby to worry about.

• Where to Fish on Lac Chouinard

  Depth is unknown to us, and the shoreline is the better guide. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. Public occurrence data for Côte-Nord names logperch. Read it as a county summary, not a water-by-water list. On Lac Chouinard the quiet end is the one worth the extra effort.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Climate normals give 17°C for July and -15°C for January. Winter closes the water for a while, and the reopening is worth catching. After early May the shallows warm and the fish move up. Break-up near early May, freeze-up near late November: that is the shape of an average year. The shoulder weeks of the open season are the productive ones. Time your trip to Lac Chouinard by conditions rather than dates.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether you may fish here is not something records settle. No launch point is recorded nearby, so this is a bank water unless you carry a boat in. Perch take small lures and worms fished near the bottom close to structure. Sort the permit out before you load the car. Night access is frequently treated as a separate matter. If the gate is shut, Lac Lechasseur at 2.4 km is the nearest alternative. For Lac Chouinard in particular, ask before you travel.