Lac Credit in Nord-du-Québec: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  The Nord-du-Québec end of Quebec holds Lac Credit. The bank is 306 metres above sea level. The water covers around 1.71 sq km, which puts most of it out of reach from the bank. The perimeter runs near 13 km, so plan the walk before you start. The nearest town is Salluit, 87 km away. The big place round here is Saguenay, 1473 km distant. It sits well inside the county, so one set of rules covers it.

• Where to Fish on Lac Credit

  There is no recorded depth, so work from what you can see. Bays and points beat straight shoreline every time on water like this. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. Reported across Nord-du-Québec: Arctic charr, brook trout, lake trout, lake whitefish and cisco. The county figures include rivers and lakes alike. Lac Credit gives up more to patience than to distance.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Expect July to average close to 10°C, with January the cold end at about -26°C. Winter owns most of the year at this latitude. Ice fishing carries the winter, and the water opens about late June. Break-up near late June, freeze-up near mid October: that is the shape of an average year. From the thaw to midsummer the fishing improves week by week. That is the shape of the year on Lac Credit.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether you may fish here is not something records settle. Records list it as a natural water body rather than an impoundment. The map shows no ramp or car park nearby, so this is a walk-in water. For the trout, small spinners and a box of nymphs cover both approaches. Local rules can differ across the county line, so check where you stand. Keep proof of licence with you rather than in the car. Lac Belanger sits 16 km off and takes the overflow. Confirm access to Lac Credit locally before you travel.