Lac des Iles Fishing near Chibougamau, Quebec

• Overview

  You will find Lac des Iles in Nord-du-Québec, Quebec. The water sits 405 metres up. This is sizeable water at about 2.24 sq km, and a boat opens up most of it. You are looking at roughly 15 km of shoreline, with plenty of water between access points. 21 km away sits Chibougamau, the nearest town. Chapais follows at 48 km, then Mistissini at 75 km. It sits well inside its county, with no border complications.

• Where to Fish on Lac des Iles

  Depth figures are not published for this one. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. Bays and points beat straight shoreline every time on water like this. County-wide records name Arctic charr, brook trout and lake trout. Records at county level tell you what is around, not what is stocked here. Work Lac des Iles in sections rather than trying to cover it.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The range across the year is -19°C to 16°C. A short, intense season is the rule this far north. Ice fishing carries the winter, and the water opens about early May. In an average year the thaw lands around early May and the freeze near mid November. The strongest runs come at either end of the open season. Time your trip to Lac des Iles by conditions rather than dates.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether you may fish here is not something records settle. Records list it as a natural water body rather than an impoundment. No made access is recorded, so a short walk in is the likely arrangement. Trout here take small spinners, spoons and, where fly water allows, a nymph or dry. Rules differ from one water to the next round here. Some stretches are reserved and marked as such on the ground. The nearest alternative is Lac Armitage, 3.2 km out. Check the position at Lac des Iles before loading the car.