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

• Overview

  In Quebec, Lac Pastorel falls inside Nord-du-Québec. Elevation runs to 262 metres. Around 12.38 sq km of open water: conditions change from one end to the other. The perimeter is close to 64 km, and wind can be flat in one arm and rough in the next. Size puts it in the front rank of our Nord-du-Québec list. Some 331 km away sits Kuujjuaq, the nearest settlement. Inukjuak is 345 km and Sanikiluaq 363 km. One jurisdiction covers this water end to end.

• Where to Fish on Lac Pastorel

  Depth figures are not published for this one. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. County-wide records name Arctic charr, brook trout, lake trout and lake whitefish. What holds for the county may not hold for this water. On Lac Pastorel the quiet end is the one worth the extra effort.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The warmest month averages 13°C, the coldest about -24°C. Open water arrives late and leaves early, which concentrates the fishing. Hard cover is dependable here; it goes around late May. On the long-run averages the water opens up around late May and starts locking again about early November. The middle of summer slows a little, with dawn and dusk carrying it. That is the shape of the year on Lac Pastorel.

• Tackle & Baits

  Access is not recorded for this water. No dam controls it, and the level follows the season. Nothing is listed nearby for parking or launching a boat. Light line and small metal for the trout; a fly rod earns its place on calm evenings. Where access is informal, keep it that way by behaving. Barbless rules turn up on managed water more often than not. Should this one be busy, Lac Ouilem is 14 km off. The position on Lac Pastorel is worth confirming on the day.