Lac Desloges in Nord-du-Québec: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Look for Lac Desloges in the Nord-du-Québec part of Quebec. Around the bank it is spruce and muskeg. It runs to roughly 93 hectares — big enough to hold fish away from the bank, small enough to learn. There is roughly 4.8 km of shoreline here, which is a short walk end to end. Matagami lies 128 km from the water. Greater Sudbury is the closest city, 416 km away. The nearest edge is a long way off, so local rules apply throughout.

• Where to Fish on Lac Desloges

  Depth here is unknown, so count the lead down before committing. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. This is a lake, so the margins and the first drop matter most. Survey and observation records for Nord-du-Québec include Arctic charr, brook trout, lake trout and lake whitefish. These are county-wide records, so not all of them will be in this water. Lac Desloges gives up more to patience than to distance.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Averages here run 16°C at the top of summer and -19°C at the bottom of winter. The fishing year opens late and shuts early. Expect a solid lid for months and a thaw around early May. The lid tends to go about early May and return around mid November. The weeks after the thaw and the ones before the freeze are the strongest. It sets the rhythm of the year at Lac Desloges.

• Tackle & Baits

  There is no clear statement anywhere on who can fish it. Records list it as a natural water body rather than an impoundment. Mapping shows an empty shoreline: no ramp, no jetty, no marked entry. Trout here take small spinners, spoons and, where fly water allows, a nymph or dry. Sort the permit out before you load the car. Access can change hands, so last year's answer may not hold. Failing this one, try Lac Gratton, 2.7 km away. Confirm before you fish Lac Desloges.