Fishing Lac Cottenoir in Nord-du-Québec, Quebec

• Overview

  Lac Cottenoir is set in Nord-du-Québec, Quebec. Around the bank it is northern bush. Surface area runs to about 7 hectares — small enough to read in one session. Most waters listed here for Nord-du-Québec are larger. Chibougamau sits 78 km from here and is the nearest stop. Then Chapais, 80 km, and Leblanc, 108 km. No boundary runs near, so the local rules hold throughout.

• Where to Fish on Lac Cottenoir

  Depth is not on record here, which means reading the ground instead. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. Reported across Nord-du-Québec: Arctic charr, brook trout, lake trout and lake whitefish. What holds for the county may not hold for this water. Read Lac Cottenoir for ten minutes before the first cast goes out.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The range across the year is -18°C to 16°C. Ice holds for a long stretch, so the open weeks matter more here than further south. The open season starts with the thaw, near enough early May. The open-water window runs from around early May to about mid November in an average year. May into June fishes hardest, and September gives a second good stretch before the lid returns. Plan any trip to Lac Cottenoir around it.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing we hold confirms whether access is permitted. We find no slipway, car park or made path within a short radius, so treat access as rough. For the trout, small spinners and a box of nymphs cover both approaches. A landowner's word beats anything printed elsewhere. Signs go up and come down, so check on the day. The nearest alternative is Lac du Loustic, 1.6 km out. Check the position on Lac Cottenoir before loading the car.