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

• Overview

  Out in Nord-du-Québec, Quebec, sits Lac Pikwatakanis. Country round the bank runs to boreal forest. At 2.99 sq km this is proper open water rather than a pond. With 17 km or so of shoreline, boat anglers cover ground the bank cannot. The nearest town is Kuujjuaq, 70 km away. Beyond it, Nain at 426 km and Labrador City at 514 km. There is no boundary nearby to worry about.

• Where to Fish on Lac Pikwatakanis

  Depth is not on record here, which means reading the ground instead. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. This is a lake, so the margins and the first drop matter most. Fish documented in Nord-du-Québec include Arctic charr, brook trout, lake trout, lake whitefish and cisco. Those are county-wide records, so not every one of them will be in this water. The shape of Lac Pikwatakanis rewards a slow walk along one bank.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Average temperature peaks around 12°C in July and bottoms out near -25°C in January. Open water arrives late and leaves early, which concentrates the fishing. Count on hard cover from midwinter, and open water from early June. Ice usually gives way near early June, and forms again about late October. September and October fish steadily right up to the freeze. Lac Pikwatakanis fishes to that pattern most years.

• Tackle & Baits

  Ownership and access are not documented in what we hold. No dam controls it, and the level follows the season. The map shows no ramp or car park nearby, so this is a walk-in water. Trout here take small spinners, spoons and, where fly water allows, a nymph or dry. Where the road in crosses private land, ask first. Rules for boats are stricter than rules for the bank in many places. For a change of water, Lac Papirutalik is 12 km distant. Confirm before you fish Lac Pikwatakanis.