Lac Hiriard Fishing Guide, Nord-du-Québec, Quebec

• Overview

  Lac Hiriard sits within Nord-du-Québec in Quebec. This is taiga country. This is big water, about 12.97 sq km, and in a wind it behaves like a small sea. The outline measures near 74 km, so a boat opens up water the bank never reaches. Size puts it in the front rank of our Nord-du-Québec list. 229 km away sits Sanikiluaq, the nearest town. The big place round here is Saguenay, 880 km distant. It lies deep inside the county rather than near an edge.

• Where to Fish on Lac Hiriard

  Depth is not on record here, so the bank has to tell you. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. Public occurrence data for Nord-du-Québec names Arctic charr, brook trout, lake trout, lake whitefish and cisco. It is the county picture; the agency list is water-specific. Read Lac Hiriard for ten minutes before the first cast goes out.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Temperature averages peak at 14°C in July and bottom out at -23°C in January. Open water is the exception rather than the rule here. Winter locks it down, and late May brings it back. Break-up near late May, freeze-up near early November: that is the shape of an average year. From the thaw to midsummer the fishing improves week by week. On Lac Hiriard that shapes the whole year.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing in our records says who may fish here. This is a natural basin, not a dammed one. No car park, ramp or path is recorded within easy reach of the shore. Trout here take small spinners, spoons and, where fly water allows, a nymph or dry. Where access is informal, keep it that way by behaving. Where parking is tight, arriving early solves most problems. Lac Mistamikap sits 23 km off and takes the overflow. Rules at Lac Hiriard are worth checking on the day.