Fishing Lac Machault in Nord-du-Québec, Quebec

• Overview

  Lac Machault sits within Nord-du-Québec in Quebec. What surrounds it is boreal forest. Roughly 3.86 sq km of surface: treat each bay as a water in its own right. The edge covers about 16 km, enough to hold several distinct areas. You are 64 km from Chapais. Waswanipi follows at 88 km, then Chibougamau at 95 km. Round about: Lac Andre 1.2 km off, Lac Ann a touch under 8.2 km, Lac Lespinay 8.6 km off, Lac Hebert a touch under 9.6 km and Lac Noel 12 km off. The nearest boundary is a fair way off.

• Where to Fish on Lac Machault

  There is no published depth for this one, so start shallow and work out. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. Survey and observation records for Nord-du-Québec include Arctic charr, brook trout and lake trout. These are county-wide records, so not all of them will be in this water. Fish Lac Machault to its features, not to its size.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Average temperature peaks around 16°C in July and bottoms out near -19°C in January. Winter runs most of the calendar, and everything worth doing happens in the gap. Winter fishing happens on the ice here, with open water back around early May. The season between ice runs from about early May to mid November. Look to early summer and the first cool weeks of autumn. It holds true on Lac Machault more years than not.

• Tackle & Baits

  We hold no note on access for this one. Records list it as a natural water body rather than an impoundment. Access is unmapped, which usually means a farm track and a walk. Light line and small metal for the trout; a fly rod earns its place on calm evenings. Check locally before you travel, because a wasted drive is a long one. Some water is controlled locally without a sign saying so. For a change of water, Lac Andre is 1.2 km distant. Check the position at Lac Machault before loading the car.