Lac Ray in Côte-Nord: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Look for Lac Ray in Côte-Nord, Quebec. Land around it is northern bush. Surface area is around 11 hectares, which gives you real water without needing a boat. A shoreline of some 1.9 km keeps the choices simple. Nearest place of any size is Port-Cartier, 135 km away. It is 294 km to Saguenay, the nearest city. Rules here are straightforward: one set of provincial rules.

• Where to Fish on Lac Ray

  Nothing in our records gives a depth for this one. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. Open biodiversity records for Côte-Nord list logperch. Those are county-wide records, so not every one of them will be in this water. Anyone new to Lac Ray should walk it once before setting up.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Expect July near 16°C and January near -19°C on the long-run figures. Open water is the exception rather than the rule here. The lid usually sets by midwinter and gives way around early May. Going by climate averages, expect open water from about early May until roughly mid November. May into June fishes hardest, and September gives a second good stretch before the lid returns. That is the shape of the year on Lac Ray.

• Tackle & Baits

  The rules here are undocumented as far as public sources go. It formed naturally, so levels move with rainfall rather than with a gate. Nothing is mapped in the way of a ramp or car park within a short radius. Perch take small lures and worms fished near the bottom close to structure. A phone call first saves an afternoon. A polite question at the farm gate opens more banks than anything else. Failing this one, try Lac Hickey, 4.8 km away. Confirm before you fish Lac Ray.