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

• Overview

  Lac du Portage lies in Nord-du-Québec, in Quebec. The surface lies 86 metres up. At some 1.08 sq km it is far too large to cover on foot in a day. With 9.8 km or so of shoreline, boat anglers cover ground the bank cannot. It lies lower than most water we list in Quebec. Kuujjuaq lies 107 km from the water. Puvirnituq lies 447 km off, Inukjuak another 461 km. The nearest boundary is a fair way off.

• Where to Fish on Lac du Portage

  Depth here is unknown, so count the lead down before committing. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. Survey and observation records for Nord-du-Québec include Arctic charr, brook trout and lake trout. It is the county picture; the agency list is water-specific. The shape of Lac du Portage rewards a slow walk along one bank.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The year swings from about -24°C in January to roughly 12°C in July. This far north the hard season runs and runs. Count on hard cover from midwinter, and open water from early June. Climate averages put the opening at about early June and the closing near early November. June through September is the settled part of the year, with the shoulders busier for fish. The season on Lac du Portage rarely departs from it.

• Tackle & Baits

  Access status is simply unknown for this water. This is a natural basin, not a dammed one. No slipway, car park or made path shows up nearby in mapping, so treat access as rough. Trout here take small spinners, spoons and, where fly water allows, a nymph or dry. Provincial rules still apply whatever the bank status. Some ground is open by custom rather than by right, so tread carefully. Failing this one, try Lac Siugak, 3.2 km away. Where Lac du Portage is concerned, a local answer beats a written one.