Lac des Canots Fishing in Nord-du-Québec, Quebec

• Overview

  Lac des Canots lies in Nord-du-Québec, in Quebec. Northern bush runs right down to the water. For a base, Mistissini sits 38 km out. Saguenay sits 266 km out, and it is the nearest city worth the name. Neighbouring water: Lac Laganiere at 5.1 km, Lac Duberger the better part of 9.7 km, Lac du Terrier at 9.9 km, Lac Bignell the better part of 12 km and Lac du Kilometre Trente-Cinq at 14 km. The nearest boundary is a fair way off.

• Where to Fish on Lac des Canots

  Depth is not on record here, so the bank has to tell you. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. This is a lake, so the margins and the first drop matter most. Across Nord-du-Québec, recorded fish include Arctic charr, brook trout, lake trout and lake whitefish. Records at this level tell you what is in the area. The shape of Lac des Canots decides where the fish sit.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Average temperature peaks around 15°C in July and bottoms out near -20°C in January. Water stays cold even at the height of the year. Count the season from break-up, usually mid May. Expect the water usable from around mid May until roughly early November. Early summer and early autumn carry the open-water season. On Lac des Canots the same rules apply, with local timing.

• Tackle & Baits

  There is no clear statement anywhere on who can fish it. There is no mapped parking or launch nearby, which keeps numbers down. Trout here take small spinners, spoons and, where fly water allows, a nymph or dry. A phone call first saves an afternoon. Close seasons apply to some species and not others. Failing this one, try Lac Laganiere, 5.1 km away. Signs at Lac des Canots carry more weight than any list.