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

• Overview

  Out in Nord-du-Québec, Quebec, sits Lac Salamandre. Around the bank it is boreal forest. At 1.20 sq km this is proper open water rather than a pond. There is roughly 6.0 km of bank, more than one visit can cover properly. Head to Matagami, 72 km away, for anything you forgot. Further out sit Waskaganish (146 km) and Lebel-sur-Quévillon (162 km). No border sits close enough to matter.

• Where to Fish on Lac Salamandre

  We hold no depth figure for this one. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. Records held for Nord-du-Québec cover Arctic charr, brook trout, lake trout, lake whitefish and cisco. County records show the wider picture rather than this one place. The shape of Lac Salamandre rewards a slow walk along one bank.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Average temperature peaks around 16°C in July and bottoms out near -19°C in January. This far north the hard season runs and runs. Count on hard cover from midwinter, and open water from early May. Climate figures give an open season running early May to mid November. Late spring and early autumn carry the year between them. That is the shape of the year on Lac Salamandre.

• Tackle & Baits

  Ownership and access are not documented in what we hold. No dam controls it, and the level follows the season. There is no recorded infrastructure here; expect to find your own way in. Light line and small metal for the trout; a fly rod earns its place on calm evenings. Look for a notice board at the entrance. Access can change hands, so last year's answer may not hold. Lac Chastrier at 3.2 km is the sensible second choice. Where Lac Salamandre is concerned, a local answer beats a written one.