Fishing at Lac des Fourches, Côte-Nord, Quebec

• Overview

  Lac des Fourches is one of the Côte-Nord waters in Quebec. The water sits 386 metres up. It measures about 22 hectares, which is a comfortable size for bank fishing. Forestville is the closest town at 72 km. The nearest city of size is Saguenay, 108 km away. Other water within reach: Lac Nankin 3.5 km away, Lac Plat after 3.5 km, Lac Georgette 3.6 km away, Lac du Vison after 3.9 km and Lac Chimo 4.1 km away. It lies deep inside the county rather than near an edge.

• Where to Fish on Lac des Fourches

  Without a survey to go on, judge depth from how the bank falls away. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. Records held for Côte-Nord cover logperch. What holds for the county may not hold for this water. The shape of Lac des Fourches rewards a slow walk along one bank.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Expect July to average close to 16°C, with January the cold end at about -18°C. The ice season is long here and the open one short. Ice is part of the season here, ending near early May. Going by climate averages, expect open water from about early May until roughly mid November. Just after the ice goes and just before it returns, the fishing lifts. At Lac des Fourches the season follows that pattern closely.

• Tackle & Baits

  Who may fish here is not settled in anything we hold. No car park, ramp or path is recorded within easy reach of the shore. Perch take small lures and worms fished near the bottom close to structure. Some banks are open only from a marked point. A polite question at the farm gate opens more banks than anything else. The nearest alternative is Lac Nankin, 3.5 km out. Rules at Lac des Fourches are worth checking on the day.