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

• Overview

  Lac Malo sits in Nord-du-Québec, out in Quebec. It lies 395 metres above sea level. Roughly 4.55 sq km of surface: treat each bay as a water in its own right. You are looking at roughly 24 km of shoreline, with plenty of water between access points. Nearest town is Chibougamau, 46 km off. For a city, Saguenay is 260 km off. It lies deep inside the county rather than near an edge.

• Where to Fish on Lac Malo

  Nothing in our records gives a depth for this one. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. Public occurrence data for Nord-du-Québec names Arctic charr, brook trout, lake trout, lake whitefish and cisco. These are county-wide records, so not all of them will be in this water. On Lac Malo that means starting tight and working out.

• Seasonal Patterns

  July runs about 16°C on average, January about -19°C. Cold dominates the year and the fishing works around it. After early May the shallows warm and the fish move up. Break-up near early May, freeze-up near mid November: that is the shape of an average year. Fish feed hardest at the start and the close of the open season. Plan any trip to Lac Malo around it.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether you may fish here is not something records settle. It formed naturally, so levels move with rainfall rather than with a gate. Nothing built is recorded close to the bank here. Trout here take small spinners, spoons and, where fly water allows, a nymph or dry. Parking is often the real limit rather than the bank itself. Signs go up and come down, so check on the day. For a change of water, Lac Coran is 1.8 km distant. Treat access at Lac Malo as something to verify.