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

• Overview

  Lac Malouin falls in Nord-du-Québec, part of Quebec. The bank is 298 metres above sea level. At 9.68 sq km this is proper open water rather than a pond. The bank runs about 27 km in total, split between open shore and sheltered corners. Size puts it in the front rank of our Nord-du-Québec list. Waswanipi at 38 km is the nearest place to stop. Saguenay sits 387 km out, and it is the nearest city worth the name. The county line is nowhere near, so one local authority covers the water.

• Where to Fish on Lac Malouin

  No figure exists for depth, so let the water show you. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. 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, lake trout, lake whitefish and cisco. Records at county level tell you what is around, not what is stocked here. On Lac Malouin that means starting tight and working out.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Averages move between -19°C in January and 16°C in July. Open water is the exception rather than the rule here. Firm cover through the cold months, then open water from early May. Climate figures give an open season running early May to mid November. The open run goes from the thaw to the freeze, and April through October covers most of it. It sets the rhythm of the year at Lac Malouin.

• Tackle & Baits

  There is no clear statement anywhere on who can fish it. Records list it as a natural water body rather than an impoundment. Mapping is blank for access, so scout the approach before committing the car. Trout here take small spinners, spoons and, where fly water allows, a nymph or dry. Take the rules with you rather than trusting memory. A polite question at the farm gate opens more banks than anything else. Lac Cere at 6.3 km is the sensible second choice. For Lac Malouin in particular, ask before you travel.