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

• Overview

  In Quebec, Lac Dumesnil belongs to Nord-du-Québec. The setting is spruce and muskeg. It measures some 4.82 sq km, and wind has room to build across it. At about 37 km of edge, most people fish a single area and learn it well. It is high ground by Quebec standards. The closest town, Godefroy, is 218 km away. For a city, Saguenay is 527 km off. No boundary runs near, so the local rules hold throughout.

• Where to Fish on Lac Dumesnil

  We hold no survey for this water; read the slope of the shoreline instead. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. Nord-du-Québec records list Arctic charr, brook trout, lake trout and lake whitefish among the fish reported. County records show what lives in the area; the local agency holds the water-by-water list. Lac Dumesnil repays a walk before the first cast.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Expect July to average close to 14°C, with January the cold end at about -24°C. Cold dominates the calendar on water this far north. Expect a solid lid for months and a thaw around late May. Going by climate averages, expect open water from about late May until roughly late October. The open run goes from the thaw to the freeze, and April through October covers most of it. It sets the rhythm of the year at Lac Dumesnil.

• Tackle & Baits

  Access status is simply unknown for this water. No dam controls it, and the level follows the season. Mapping is blank for access, so scout the approach before committing the car. Trout here take small spinners, spoons and, where fly water allows, a nymph or dry. Bank access can be seasonal on ground like this. Some ground is open by custom rather than by right, so tread carefully. Failing this one, try Lac Ronsard, 8.4 km away. Check the position on Lac Dumesnil before loading the car.