Lac Rideau Fishing in Nord-du-Québec, Quebec

• Overview

  Lac Rideau is one of the Nord-du-Québec waters in Quebec. Everything around it is northern bush. The water covers some 32 hectares, so pick a bank rather than trying to cover it all. The edge covers about 8.6 km, enough to hold several distinct areas. For a base, Chibougamau sits 49 km out. Then Chapais, 68 km, and Mistissini, 96 km. Rules here are straightforward: one set of provincial rules.

• Where to Fish on Lac Rideau

  We hold no survey for this water; read the slope of the shoreline instead. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. Records held for Nord-du-Québec cover Arctic charr, brook trout, lake trout and lake whitefish. These are county-wide records, so not all of them will be in this water. Lac Rideau gives up its fish to patience rather than distance.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Expect July to average close to 16°C, with January the cold end at about -19°C. Cold dominates the calendar on water this far north. Firm cover through the cold months, then open water from early May. Going by climate averages, expect open water from about early May until roughly mid November. The open run goes from the thaw to the freeze, and April through October covers most of it. That shapes the year on Lac Rideau.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether you may fish here is not something records settle. It formed naturally, so levels move with rainfall rather than with a gate. Trout here take small spinners, spoons and, where fly water allows, a nymph or dry. Check locally before you travel, because a wasted drive is a long one. Keep proof of licence with you rather than in the car. If the gate is shut, Lac Sifflet at 1.6 km is the nearest alternative. Check the position on Lac Rideau before loading the car.