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

• Overview

  Lac Malaval is one of the Nord-du-Québec listings for Quebec. The surface lies 462 metres up. It measures some 6.95 sq km, and wind has room to build across it. The perimeter is close to 38 km, and wind can be flat in one arm and rough in the next. It is one of the larger waters we list anywhere in Quebec. Nearest town is Labrador City, 340 km off. Fermont follows at 341 km, then Wabush at 345 km. It sits well inside the county, so one set of rules covers it.

• Where to Fish on Lac Malaval

  Depth figures are not published for this one. Bays and points beat straight shoreline every time on water like this. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. Survey and observation records for Nord-du-Québec include Arctic charr, brook trout and lake trout. The county list is broader than any single water. Work Lac Malaval in sections rather than trying to cover it.

• Seasonal Patterns

  On the long-term average, July reads 13°C and January reads -25°C. Cold dominates the calendar on water this far north. Look for the thaw near late May; the fishing lifts straight after. Average temperatures cross freezing around late May in spring and again near late October in autumn. Just after the ice goes and just before it returns, the fishing lifts. It holds true on Lac Malaval more years than not.

• Tackle & Baits

  Access is not recorded for this water. No dam controls it, and the level follows the season. Nothing built is recorded close to the bank here. Trout here take small spinners, spoons and, where fly water allows, a nymph or dry. Rules for this water may differ from the county norm. Some ground is open by custom rather than by right, so tread carefully. The nearest alternative is Lac Nicollon, 5 km out. What applies at Lac Malaval may have changed since it was mapped.