Lac Slanting in Nord-du-Québec: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Lac Slanting sits within Nord-du-Québec in Quebec. What surrounds it is taiga. The water covers around 1.79 sq km, which puts most of it out of reach from the bank. The closest town, Nain, is 206 km distant. For a city, Saguenay is 1028 km off. Nearest other option: Lac Peret the better part of 14 km, Lac Cholmondely just 17 km, Lac Terriault the better part of 18 km, Lac Leofred just 30 km and Lac Pennoyer the better part of 40 km. No county line comes close, which keeps the paperwork simple.

• Where to Fish on Lac Slanting

  Nothing we hold settles how deep this runs. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. Fish documented in Nord-du-Québec include Arctic charr, brook trout and lake trout. What holds for the county may not hold for this water. Treat Lac Slanting as a water to read rather than to cover.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The warm month here averages 11°C; the cold one sits at -23°C. The ice season is long here and the open one short. The freeze runs deep into the year, with break-up near early June. In an average year the thaw lands around early June and the freeze near late October. Early summer and early autumn carry the open-water season. It sets the rhythm of the year at Lac Slanting.

• Tackle & Baits

  There is no clear statement anywhere on who can fish it. Nothing is listed nearby for parking or launching a boat. Trout here take small spinners, spoons and, where fly water allows, a nymph or dry. Rules differ from one water to the next round here. Where parking is tight, arriving early solves most problems. The nearest alternative is Lac Peret, 14 km out. Rules at Lac Slanting are worth checking on the day.