Fishing at Lac Messine, Nord-du-Québec, Quebec

• Overview

  Within Nord-du-Québec, Quebec, you have Lac Messine. Around the bank it is boreal forest. At 1.75 sq km this is proper open water rather than a pond. With 11 km or so of shoreline, boat anglers cover ground the bank cannot. Chapais is the closest town at 52 km. For a city, Saguenay is 278 km off. Neighbouring water: Lac Grimaldi 2.5 km off, Lac Oriol some 7.1 km off, Lac d'Eu 8.8 km off, Lac Pierre some 9.5 km off and Lac Chrysologue 10 km off. There is no boundary nearby to worry about.

• Where to Fish on Lac Messine

  Our records hold no depth for this water. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. Records held for Nord-du-Québec cover Arctic charr, brook trout, lake trout and lake whitefish. The county figures include rivers and lakes alike. On Lac Messine the quiet end is the one worth the extra effort.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The year swings from about -19°C in January to roughly 16°C in July. Open water is the exception rather than the rule here. Hard water holds through the cold months, breaking up near early May. The lid tends to go about early May and return around mid November. Right after break-up, and again as the nights sharpen, is when to go. Keep it in mind when planning a trip to Lac Messine.

• Tackle & Baits

  No access rule appears in what we hold. This is a natural basin, not a dammed one. We find no slipway, car park or made path within a short radius, so treat access as rough. For the trout, small spinners and a box of nymphs cover both approaches. Read any posted signs at the access point rather than assuming. Barbless rules turn up on managed water more often than not. Failing this one, try Lac Grimaldi, 2.5 km away. None of that is settled for Lac Messine in what we hold.