Lac Marcel Fishing near Kuujjuaq, Quebec

• Overview

  Lac Marcel is one of the Nord-du-Québec listings for Quebec. It stands 184 metres above sea level. It covers about 40.51 sq km, which means weather matters as much as tactics. It ranks high for size among our Nord-du-Québec listings. 143 km away sits Kuujjuaq, the nearest town. For a city, Saguenay is 956 km off. It lies deep inside the county rather than near an edge.

• Where to Fish on Lac Marcel

  Depth here is unknown, so count the lead down before committing. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. Nord-du-Québec records list Arctic charr, brook trout and lake trout among the fish reported. The list covers the county rather than this water alone, so treat it as a guide. Lac Marcel responds to conditions more than to tactics.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Average temperature peaks around 12°C in July and bottoms out near -25°C in January. Little of the calendar is open water, so timing counts for everything. The open season starts with the thaw, near enough early June. Ice usually gives way near early June, and forms again about late October. The strong weeks are the first after break-up and the last before the freeze. That is the shape of the year on Lac Marcel.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether the bank is open is not something our records settle. 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. A landowner's word beats anything printed elsewhere. Where tickets apply, they are sold in the nearest town rather than on the bank. Failing this one, try Lac Dupoisson, 14 km away. None of that is settled for Lac Marcel in what we hold.