Fishing Lac Polaris in Nord-du-Québec, Quebec

• Overview

  Lac Polaris sits within Nord-du-Québec in Quebec. The country here is northern bush. The water covers around 4.08 sq km, which puts most of it out of reach from the bank. With 23 km or so of shoreline, boat anglers cover ground the bank cannot. Supplies mean a trip to Mistissini, 382 km off. For a city, Saguenay is 612 km off. It lies deep inside the county rather than near an edge.

• Where to Fish on Lac Polaris

  Depth here is unknown, so count the lead down before committing. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. Public occurrence data for Nord-du-Québec names Arctic charr, brook trout and lake trout. The county list is broader than any single water. Lac Polaris gives up its fish to patience rather than distance.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The warmest month averages 14°C, the coldest about -23°C. This far north the hard season runs and runs. The lid usually goes in late May, which opens the strongest weeks of the year. The water is typically free of ice between late May and early November. The strong weeks are the first after break-up and the last before the freeze. At Lac Polaris the season follows that pattern closely.

• Tackle & Baits

  The paperwork position is blank for this one. No dam controls it, and the level follows the season. Access points are not mapped for this water, which suits people who like quiet. For the trout, small spinners and a box of nymphs cover both approaches. Check whether a boat is allowed before you tow one. Close seasons apply to some species and not others. Should this one be busy, Lac des Patriotes is 16 km off. None of that is settled for Lac Polaris in what we hold.