Fishing at Lac du Pelican, Nord-du-Québec, Quebec

• Overview

  The Nord-du-Québec end of Quebec holds Lac du Pelican. Beyond the shoreline you have taiga. It covers about 141.58 sq km, which means weather matters as much as tactics. The bank is deeply indented, so shelter is easy to find in any wind. Few waters listed in Nord-du-Québec are bigger. Puvirnituq lies 205 km from the water. For a city, Saguenay is 1275 km off. The nearest boundary is a fair way off.

• Where to Fish on Lac du Pelican

  Our records carry no depth, so judge it from the bank. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. Records held for Nord-du-Québec cover Arctic charr, brook trout and lake trout. The county list is broader than any single water. Anyone new to Lac du Pelican should walk it once before setting up.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Climate records put July near 10°C and January near -23°C. Open water is the exception rather than the rule here. Ice-out usually falls in mid June, and the weeks after it fish hardest. Break-up near mid June, freeze-up near late October: that is the shape of an average year. Spring is short and heavy here; autumn is longer and steadier. The season on Lac du Pelican rarely departs from it.

• Tackle & Baits

  The rules here are undocumented as far as public sources go. This is a natural basin, not a dammed one. Access points are not mapped for this water, which suits people who like quiet. For the trout, small spinners and a box of nymphs cover both approaches. Parking space is the usual limit rather than the bank itself. Some stretches are reserved and marked as such on the ground. If the gate is shut, Lac Curodeau at 11 km is the nearest alternative. For Lac du Pelican, the notice at the access point is the final word.