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

• Overview

  In Quebec, Lac Dufresne falls inside Nord-du-Québec. The surface lies 406 metres up. It measures some 1.08 sq km, and wind has room to build across it. With 10 km or so of shoreline, boat anglers cover ground the bank cannot. For supplies, Chibougamau is 38 km out. Further out sit Chapais (49 km) and Mistissini (96 km). No boundary runs near, so the local rules hold throughout.

• Where to Fish on Lac Dufresne

  Our records carry no depth, so judge it from the bank. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. Bays and points beat straight shoreline every time on water like this. Fish documented in 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. Work Lac Dufresne in sections rather than trying to cover it.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The range across the year is -19°C to 16°C. Open water arrives late and leaves early, which concentrates the fishing. Expect a solid lid for months and a thaw around early May. The water is typically free of ice between early May and mid November. The strong weeks are the first after break-up and the last before the freeze. The season on Lac Dufresne follows the weather closely.

• Tackle & Baits

  Public data does not answer the access question here. Records list it as a natural water body rather than an impoundment. Nothing is mapped in the way of a ramp or car park within a short radius. Trout here take small spinners, spoons and, where fly water allows, a nymph or dry. Where the road in crosses private land, ask first. A polite question at the farm gate opens more banks than anything else. For a change of water, Lac Blondin is 2.1 km distant. Confirm before you fish Lac Dufresne.