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

• Overview

  Lac La Forest belongs to Nord-du-Québec, Quebec. Height above sea level is 409 metres. This is big water, about 25.45 sq km, and in a wind it behaves like a small sea. The shoreline runs to about 165 km, far more than one trip can cover. Size puts it in the front rank of our Nord-du-Québec list. Start from Kuujjuaq, 365 km down the road. Labrador City follows at 367 km, then Fermont at 371 km. It sits well inside its county, with no border complications.

• Where to Fish on Lac La Forest

  Depth figures are not published for this one. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. Public occurrence data for Nord-du-Québec names Arctic charr, brook trout, lake trout, lake whitefish and cisco. Species recorded across the county may be limited to a few waters. The near bank of Lac La Forest is often the one people ignore.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Seasonal averages run from -25°C in January up to 13°C in July. The fishing year opens late and shuts early. The lid usually goes in late May, which opens the strongest weeks of the year. Average temperatures cross freezing around late May in spring and again near late October in autumn. The middle of summer slows a little, with dawn and dusk carrying it. Anyone fishing Lac La Forest regularly works to that calendar.

• Tackle & Baits

  Who may fish here is not settled in anything we hold. It formed naturally, so levels move with rainfall rather than with a gate. Nothing is mapped in the way of a ramp or car park within a short radius. Light line and small metal for the trout; a fly rod earns its place on calm evenings. Bank access can be seasonal on ground like this. Some stretches are reserved and marked as such on the ground. For a change of water, Lac Marin is 5.6 km distant. Check the current arrangement for Lac La Forest.