Fishing Lac Jenozeau in Nord-du-Québec, Quebec

• Overview

  Out in Nord-du-Québec, Quebec, sits Lac Jenozeau. It lies 385 metres above sea level. At some 1.21 sq km it is far too large to cover on foot in a day. You are looking at roughly 7.9 km of shoreline, with plenty of water between access points. The closest town, Chibougamau, is 26 km away. Saguenay sits 270 km out, and it is the nearest city worth the name. The nearest boundary is well away, so one set of rules covers the water.

• Where to Fish on Lac Jenozeau

  Depth remains unrecorded, so treat the first session as a survey. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. Open biodiversity records for Nord-du-Québec list Arctic charr, brook trout and lake trout. What holds for the county may not hold for this water. Lac Jenozeau gives up its fish to patience rather than distance.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Temperature averages peak at 16°C in July and bottom out at -19°C in January. Open water is the exception rather than the rule here. Break-up comes around early May, and the run that follows is short and strong. Break-up near early May, freeze-up near mid November: that is the shape of an average year. Fishing peaks soon after break-up and again before the cold returns. That shapes the year on Lac Jenozeau.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether the bank is open is not something our records settle. It formed naturally, so levels move with rainfall rather than with a gate. Nothing formal is recorded here: no ramp, no car park, no marked path. Trout here take small spinners, spoons and, where fly water allows, a nymph or dry. Ask in the nearest town if you are unsure. Keep proof of licence with you rather than in the car. For a change of water, Lac Forest is 1.6 km distant. Signs at Lac Jenozeau carry more weight than any list.