Lac Courtois Fishing near Chibougamau, Quebec

• Overview

  Out in Nord-du-Québec, Quebec, sits Lac Courtois. It stands 404 metres above sea level. Around 16 hectares of surface means several distinct areas to work. The full circuit measures close to 3.5 km on foot. It is a small entry by Nord-du-Québec standards. Start from Chibougamau, 25 km down the road. The nearest city of size is Saguenay, 278 km away. Rules here are straightforward: one set of provincial rules.

• Where to Fish on Lac Courtois

  There is no published depth for this one, so start shallow and work out. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. Across Nord-du-Québec, recorded fish include Arctic charr, brook trout, lake trout and lake whitefish. Those are county-wide records, so not every one of them will be in this water. Lac Courtois gives up its fish to patience rather than distance.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Average temperature peaks around 16°C in July and bottoms out near -20°C in January. Water stays cold even at the height of the year. The lid usually goes in early May, which opens the strongest weeks of the year. Averages suggest open water from about early May through to roughly mid November. September and October fish steadily right up to the freeze. Keep it in mind when planning a trip to Lac Courtois.

• Tackle & Baits

  Our records carry no access rule either way. No dam controls it, and the level follows the season. No launch point is recorded nearby, so this is a bank water unless you carry a boat in. Light line and small metal for the trout; a fly rod earns its place on calm evenings. Provincial rules still apply whatever the bank status. Some water is controlled locally without a sign saying so. For a change of water, Lac Lepage is 1.5 km distant. For Lac Courtois, the notice at the access point is the final word.