Labrador and Northern Quebec Fishing--anyone familiar with regulations?

[dutch_henry]

I'm currently researching canoe routes and trips in Northern Quebec and Labrador. They're both places I've been before, though not for many years. My question for everyone is, has anyone found a way to fish there without going through an outfitter/guide service?

In my reading and some conversations, it appears that non-residents CANNOT legally fish in Labrador or northern Quebec (Zones 19, 22, 23, 24, 29) without contracting through an outfitter or guide service. There are some small exceptions I was able to find that apply--for example fishing within a half kilometer of the road in Labrador, or fishing with a Labrador resident who is direct family.

If there are legitimate ways around what seems to be dead end, someone please set me straight. For example: is there a different permissions process on First Nations Reserves? Are there outfitters you're aware of who provide fishing access to their watersheds without a hands-on guide?

My hope, over the next few years, is to put together a series of 2-3 week trips exploring lake and river systems throughout the region. That style of trip doesn't lend itself well to a guide service, hence my question. PM me or add to the thread--I can't be the only one with this question. Thanks in advance.

 

[nomadicbohunk]

I went through the same thing you have for the same reasons. "We can just take off for 3 weeks. This will be amazing." I made a lot of calls and talked to a lot of Canadian friends. My partner also speaks/reads French fluently. I live in New England for now, so that's why I've been dorking out on it. Oh yeah, my old neighbor's girlfriend was Quebecois redneck, so she got me in touch with her friends too, who helped me a lot. I asked about hunting as much as fishing.

The first nations thing I kind of got scared away from perusing from what I was told by a lot of Quebecois. It sounds....interesting. I took it all with a grain of salt, but yeah. The laws are different, but I don't know what they are. I heard a few first hand stories about going guided.

To actually answer your question. Basically, No. There is not. People do it and get away with it, but not legally. That's gone on for a long time. I have a buddy who was on a 4 month canoe across the arctic trip (in like 2005) and came across two Norwegians who'd somehow bartered a rifle from some first nations folks, shot a caribou, and traded him meat. They had no idea any of that was illegal.

I'm really sad about this as a lot of the stuff in that part of Canada is $$$ or kind of swanky for me. Like I'd love to go get dropped off to char fish and would pay, but I do not want to pay 7-10k each for a week of it and stay in some fancy cabin. I'd rather be in a tent with my partner diy style. I mean, even some of the "good" salmon fishing is so much I could go to iceland for the same money. Like I'd hire someone to outfit me in whatever way, but I want to fish. I wish the fishing was set up more like some of the hunt guiding...where you just utilize some of their services and they let you do your thing.

Not to discourage you too much. I know a lot of the interior fishing in Quebec can be hit or miss for sure from what I've been told. I know a few guys who head down to Maine to fish more than they head north in their own province. That might just be because access is easier too. Anyway, I hope that helps some.

 

[dutch_henry]

@nomadicbohunk -- thanks for jumping in with your experience. I have to say it's regretfully similar to mine. I've had a handful of phone convos with Canadians and Americans who have fished up there, though most folks I reached out to backed away from fishing up there because of the guide laws. It sounds like the only failsafe way is to go through a camp or at the very least a guide. Great for those who can afford it--the ones I chatted with had wonderful trips and some continue to go back.

You can get a nonresident license to fish within a half a kilometer from any road, but of course that really limits you.

Won't stop me from paddling in Labrador. But for brook trout, maybe I'll resign myself to my old stomping grounds in Maine. Not a bad consolation prize!

 

[roosterdown]

Sounds like you have your answer - I looked into same for a Newfoundland trip a few years back. Hard to imagine spending weeks in a canoe and not being able to fish.

Another option for you - if giant brookies (specks) are your target, there are some Ontario river systems that offer a chance at 4+ pound fish. Most will require float plane access at least one-way and an aviation outfit certified for canoes.

 

[JR Greenhorn]

I was just in Quebec City a few weeks ago, and looking into the same thing. Definitely seems to be "don't bother," unless you're looking for a guided luxury vacation package. Doesn't seem to be a way to get a license without going that route, and even the "rustic accommodations" options aren't really camping and are still too expensive for what they are.

However, being from MN, I know a lot of people who do annual fishing trips to Manitoba. It's pretty easy to get a fishing license there, although I'm not sure about hunting. Even a RABC permit is pretty straightforward, to allow crossing on your own from the Boundary Waters into Quetico PP. Or at least all that used to be, before the COVID. Last summer and looking forward into this year, some people around here are getting back into their annual Canada fishing trips. It sounds like it's all the same as it was so far. If you're willing to drive a lot of hours on gravel roads, you can get quite a ways north and to pretty remote spots.


There are a few outfitters in NE MN who will fly you into remote Northern MB PP's, such as Atikaki, drop you off, and let you do your own DIY thing. Fishing is no problem, but again, I'm not sure about hunting. On the Canadian side, bush planes fly from Bissett. I think some of the MN outfitters just bring you there and they fly you in.

Fly-in trips from NE MN (near Ely or Grand Portage), dropping you off in Northern Quetico, then you paddle back to that same outfitters docks in MN used to be popular. I haven't heard of anyone doing that recently, but it's always been on my list. The Bounty Waters has been too busy since the COVID, but they severely cut permit numbers last year, which seemed to help.

 

[roosterdown]

Even a RABC permit is pretty straightforward, to allow crossing on your own from the Boundary Waters into Quetico PP. Or at least all that used to be, before the COVID. Last summer and looking forward into this year, some people around here are getting back into their annual Canada fishing trips. It sounds like it's all the same as it was so far. If you're willing to drive a lot of hours on gravel roads, you can get quite a ways north and to pretty remote spots.

There are a few outfitters in NE MN who will fly you into remote Northern MB PP's, such as Atikaki, drop you off, and let you do your own DIY thing. Fishing is no problem, but again, I'm not sure about hunting. On the Canadian side, bush planes fly from Bissett. I think some of the MN outfitters just bring you there and they fly you in.

Fly-in trips from NE MN (near Ely or Grand Portage), dropping you off in Northern Quetico, then you paddle back to that same outfitters docks in MN used to be popular. I haven't heard of anyone doing that recently, but it's always been on my list. The Bounty Waters has been too busy since the COVID, but they severely cut permit numbers last year, which seemed to help.

RABC is available again and can now be done electronically; used mine last August to go to Quetico. I know the air operators on the north side (Atikokan) are flying, but I am not aware of any of the US-based outfits that have resumed operations from the US into Quetico. Of course, not really an area known for Brookies.

In addition to Bissett for the eastern MB parks (though Blue Water had a fatal crash in 2019), OP could look at Red Lake, Armstrong and Pickle Lake for canoe-ready aviation options in NW Ontario where fishing does not require an outfitter...and Brookies could be on the menu.

I'm sure there are also options in the NE/Central/E parts of the province, which if OP is driving might be more desirable.

 

[JR Greenhorn]

You're clearly way more up to date than me.

We were last looking at fly-in in 2019, but ended up paddling out and portaging the Grand Portage instead. Obviously we all know what happened after that.

We had rented canoes from Canadian Border Outfitters (who does/did fly-in outfitting) on Moose Lake a few years prior, and had talked to them about it at the time. Been thinking/talking about doing it ever since, just haven't made it happen yet.


Being in Quebec really made me want to come back and get out into the backcountry, so it was pretty disappointing to learn it's so difficult to do there. Even if you're not hunting or fishing, not even campfires are allowed.