Fishing Lac Ovale in Nord-du-Québec, Quebec

• Overview

  Lac Ovale lies in Nord-du-Québec, Quebec. What surrounds it is northern bush. It runs to roughly 30 hectares — big enough to hold fish away from the bank, small enough to learn. Roughly 2.7 km of bank means you can walk to a fresh area when one goes quiet. It is a small entry by Nord-du-Québec standards. Chibougamau is the closest town at 51 km. For a city, Saguenay is 264 km off. Rules here are straightforward: one set of provincial rules.

• Where to Fish on Lac Ovale

  Depth went unrecorded, which puts the reading back on you. 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. Reported across Nord-du-Québec: Arctic charr, brook trout, lake trout and lake whitefish. The county list is broader than any single water. At Lac Ovale the first feature you find is worth twenty minutes.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Between January at about -19°C and July at about 16°C, the water has a wide range to work through. Cold dominates the calendar on water this far north. Hard water holds through the cold months, breaking up near early May. The season between ice runs from about early May to mid November. The open run goes from the thaw to the freeze, and April through October covers most of it. It holds true on Lac Ovale more years than not.

• Tackle & Baits

  Our records carry no access rule either way. Records list it as a natural water body rather than an impoundment. There is no mapped parking or launch close by, which usually means walking in. Trout here take small spinners, spoons and, where fly water allows, a nymph or dry. Provincial rules still apply whatever the bank status. Some ground is open by custom rather than by right, so tread carefully. Failing this one, try Lac Cri-Cri, 0.7 km away. Where Lac Ovale is concerned, a local answer beats a written one.