Natashquan River
The colossal 378 kilometer long Natashquan River is fed by some 30 tributaries and drains an immense watershed of over 16,000 square kilometers. Its average flow is around 400 cubic meters per second, making it a river of rare power.
Its original Innu name, Nutahquaniu Hipu, means "river where the black bear is hunted". The gradient of this splendid river is generally gentle, and its last 18 kilometers form a wide estuary dotted with sandbanks. All along its course, very rugged sections alternate with calm waters where you can appreciate its considerable size.
The Natashquan River has been a renowned salmon river since the 18th century, but sport fishing took off in the early 1870s. Several private clubs and outfitters followed in its wake. In 1984, the first 48 kilometers of the river were ceded to the Natashquan Band Council, which founded Hipou Outfitters to manage sport fishing on a section of the river stretching from kilometer 14 to kilometer 42. Fishing is by wade or boat. The salmon that swim up its dark waters, punctuated by several impressive waterfalls, have an average weight of around three kilos, and it's not uncommon to catch specimens weighing over nine kilos. Some 30 pools are spread over three fishing sectors.
