Lac O'Melia Fishing Guide, Nord-du-Québec, Quebec

• Overview

  Set in Nord-du-Québec, Quebec, this is Lac O'Melia. The land about it is spruce and muskeg. The water covers around 1.48 sq km, which puts most of it out of reach from the bank. The edge covers about 7.5 km, enough to hold several distinct areas. Start from Chapais, 34 km down the road. The big place round here is Saguenay, 338 km distant. The nearest boundary is a fair way off.

• Where to Fish on Lac O'Melia

  There is no recorded depth, so work from what you can see. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. Survey and observation records for Nord-du-Québec include Arctic charr, brook trout, lake trout and lake whitefish. The list covers the county rather than this water alone, so treat it as a guide. On Lac O'Melia the quiet end is the one worth the extra effort.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Typical July readings run about 16°C; by January the average is down near -19°C. Long winters and short summers set the pattern. Ice-out usually falls in early May, and the weeks after it fish hardest. Climate figures give an open season running early May to mid November. Reckon on open water from spring through to late autumn, with May and June the strongest. Plan any trip to Lac O'Melia around it.

• Tackle & Baits

  There is no clear statement anywhere on who can fish it. It formed naturally, so levels move with rainfall rather than with a gate. Nothing is listed nearby for parking or launching a boat. Trout here take small spinners, spoons and, where fly water allows, a nymph or dry. Some banks are open only from a marked point. Where the way in crosses private ground, ask first. Failing this one, try Lac Waite, 3.1 km away. Treat access at Lac O'Melia as something to verify.