Lac de la Drave near Hauterive: Fishing Spots, Seasons and Access

• Overview

  Côte-Nord, Quebec, is where Lac de la Drave sits. It sits in spruce and muskeg country. It covers about 3 hectares, so this is small water you can walk round in under an hour. On size it sits at the modest end of our Côte-Nord list. Hauterive is the closest place, 25 km off. Further out sit Baie-Comeau (28 km) and Chute-aux-Outardes (31 km). The nearest edge is a long way off, so local rules apply throughout.

• Where to Fish on Lac de la Drave

  Without a survey to go on, judge depth from how the bank falls away. Bays and points beat straight shoreline every time on water like this. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. Records held for Côte-Nord cover logperch. County records show what lives in the area; the local agency holds the water-by-water list. The near bank of Lac de la Drave is often the one people ignore.

• Seasonal Patterns

  July runs about 16°C on average, January about -16°C. Little of the calendar is open water, so timing counts for everything. After early May the shallows warm and the fish move up. Open water usually runs from early May until about mid November. Fishing peaks soon after break-up and again before the cold returns. Lac de la Drave runs to that rhythm year in and year out.

• Tackle & Baits

  The access position is unclear from public sources. No made access appears within a short radius, so plan to park on a verge and walk. For the perch, a small jig tipped with worm, dropped along the edges, is hard to beat. Rules differ from one water to the next round here. Keep proof of licence with you rather than in the car. Lac Ombilic at 0.8 km is the sensible second choice. Check the position at Lac de la Drave before loading the car.