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

• Overview

  The Nord-du-Québec end of Quebec holds Lac Colomb. The surface lies 227 metres up. Surface area runs to some 17.83 sq km, so a boat and a plan are both worth having. Few waters listed in Nord-du-Québec are bigger. Waskaganish is the closest place, 89 km off. Then Matagami, 142 km, and Waswanipi, 180 km. Rules here are straightforward: one set of provincial rules.

• Where to Fish on Lac Colomb

  Nothing in our records gives a depth for this one. This is a lake, so the margins and the first drop matter most. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. Across Nord-du-Québec, recorded fish 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 Colomb gives up its fish to patience rather than distance.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Average temperature peaks around 16°C in July and bottoms out near -19°C in January. Cold dominates the calendar on water this far north. Firm cover through the cold months, then open water from early May. Open water usually runs from early May until about mid November. Reckon on open water from spring through to late autumn, with May and June the strongest. Time your trip to Lac Colomb by conditions rather than dates.

• Tackle & Baits

  The rules here are undocumented as far as public sources go. Mapping shows an empty shoreline: no ramp, no jetty, no marked entry. For the trout, small spinners and a box of nymphs cover both approaches. Take the rules with you rather than trusting memory. Barbless rules turn up on managed water more often than not. If the gate is shut, Lac Marcaut at 6 km is the nearest alternative. Ask locally about Lac Colomb if anything is unclear.