Lac de la Tour in Nord-du-Québec: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Lac de la Tour is one of the Nord-du-Québec listings for Quebec. It lies 496 metres above sea level. This is a pocket water of some 4 hectares, and every part of it is reachable from the bank. Our Nord-du-Québec list holds plenty of bigger water. Chibougamau is the closest town at 13 km. Further out sit Chapais (51 km) and Mistissini (56 km). This one is safely inside the county line.

• Where to Fish on Lac de la Tour

  Depth is unknown to us, and the shoreline is the better guide. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. Species logged across Nord-du-Québec include Arctic charr, brook trout, lake trout, lake whitefish and cisco. Species recorded across the county may be limited to a few waters. On Lac de la Tour the quiet end is the one worth the extra effort.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Averages here run 16°C at the top of summer and -20°C at the bottom of winter. Open water is the exception rather than the rule here. Expect a solid lid for months and a thaw around early May. Ice clears near early May and comes back about mid November in a typical year. The weeks after the thaw and the ones before the freeze are the strongest. The season on Lac de la Tour follows the weather closely.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether the bank is open is not something our records settle. Nothing built is recorded close to the bank here. For the trout, small spinners and a box of nymphs cover both approaches. Where access is informal, keep it that way by behaving. Some stretches are reserved and marked as such on the ground. The nearest alternative is Lac Cummings, 1.8 km out. Treat access at Lac de la Tour as something to verify.