Lac de l'Ecureuil in Côte-Nord: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Lac de l'Ecureuil stands in Côte-Nord, Quebec. The surface lies 531 metres up. Compared with other Quebec water on our list, it sits high. You are 61 km from Forestville. It is 124 km to Saguenay, the nearest city. Alternatives close at hand: Lac Wally out at 1 km, Lac Lobo roughly 1.1 km, Lacdu Corbeau out at 1.8 km, Lac Rigolet roughly 2.1 km and Lac Yvette out at 2.2 km. Rules here are straightforward: one set of provincial rules.

• Where to Fish on Lac de l'Ecureuil

  No chart reached our records; the first cast is your sounding. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. Reported across Côte-Nord: logperch. Records at county level tell you what is around, not what is stocked here. On Lac de l'Ecureuil that means starting tight and working out.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Climate records put July near 16°C and January near -18°C. The ice season is long here and the open one short. The freeze runs deep into the year, with break-up near early May. Averages suggest open water from about early May through to roughly mid November. The open run goes from the thaw to the freeze, and April through October covers most of it. The season on Lac de l'Ecureuil follows the weather closely.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether the bank is open is not something our records settle. There is no recorded infrastructure here; expect to find your own way in. Perch take small lures and worms fished near the bottom close to structure. Rules differ from one water to the next round here. Keep proof of licence with you rather than in the car. Failing this one, try Lac Wally, 1 km away. Rules at Lac de l'Ecureuil are worth checking on the day.