Labrador Brook Trout & Char Fishing Guide

Labrador is remote wilderness with some of the biggest wild brook trout anywhere, mostly fished from fly-in lodges with strict catch-and-release. Rivers like the Eagle also have Atlantic salmon, and northern waters hold Arctic char and lake trout. Non-residents must plan around the guide and outfitter rules before they go.

📍 Labrador, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. The Minipi system is in central Labrador (about 52 deg 34' N, 61 deg 03' W); trips usually start in Happy Valley-Goose Bay with a floatplane. The Eagle River is in southeastern Labrador near Cartwright. Nunavik (Arctic Quebec) lies to the west and north.

Map: spots, ramps and marinas

★ Fishing hot spot · ● Boat ramp · ● Marina · ▭ Protected area (solid red = no fishing, dashed = fishing with rules)

Open the full Hudson Bay, Nunavik & Labrador map →

Quick facts

Most IGFA fly-rod records for brook trout have come from the Minipi watershed.
Brook trout logged at the Minipi camps (only fish over 3 lb are logged) average about 5 lb.
Coopers' Minipi Camps is the only licensed outfitter on the Minipi system and runs four lodges.
Lee Wulff brought the first private plane to Labrador in 1947, a float-equipped Piper Cub.
In Labrador north of 52 deg N, non-residents must use an outfitter to fish inland waters, with only a few exceptions.

What you can catch

Brook trout (speckled trout)
Trophy target; fish of 2-5 lb are common and lodges chase 7-8 lb fish.
Arctic char
Labrador limit 2 per day, 4 in possession.
Atlantic salmon
Eagle River lodges fish salmon June 15 - Sept 15; salmon licence needed.
Lake trout
Churchill River system lakes have a 60 cm minimum size.
Northern pike
Found with brook trout in some lodge waters; limit 2 per day.
Ouananiche (landlocked salmon)
Counts in the trout limit; keep none under 20 cm.

Month by month

January	Trout season closed in non-scheduled waters.
February	Trout season opens Feb 1 in zones 3-6 (ice fishing).
March	Zone 2 trout season opens Mar 1.
April	Ice fishing where open; most lodges not yet operating.
May	Check outfitter opening dates.
June	Eagle River salmon lodges open June 15.
July	Best dry-fly month at Minipi; big Hexagenia (drake) hatches in the last hour of daylight.
August	Summer lodge season; mouse and streamer fishing for big brook trout.
September	Trout season ends Sep 7 (zones 2 and 4) or Sep 15 (zones 3, 5, 6 and Eagle Plateau). Eagle River salmon lodges close Sep 15.
October	Trout season closed.
November	Trout season closed.
December	Trout season closed.

Tips

Book with a licensed outfitter; most outfitters supply the licence, but a guide-only booking may not.
Pack dry flies (Wulffs, Humpys, Green and Brown Drakes, sizes 8-14), plus mouse/lemming patterns and big streamers.
Fish narrows, river mouths and rivers between lakes.
Plan on catch-and-release; at Minipi only one trout over 3 lb may be kept per week.
For Nunavik (Arctic Quebec), non-residents must also use an outfitter north of the 52nd parallel under Quebec rules.

Rules and license

Fisheries and Oceans Canada (Newfoundland and Labrador Region) and NL Department of Forestry, Agriculture and Lands, Wildlife Division · Official rules page ↗

Non-residents need a trout licence for non-scheduled inland waters and a salmon licence for scheduled (salmon) waters; residents need no licence for trout; no licence for coastal waters.
Labrador north of 52 deg N: non-residents must use an outfitter, except with a resident direct relative, at a co-operative camp with a licensed guide, or within 800 m of a provincial highway on non-scheduled water.
Labrador south of 52 deg N: non-residents need a licensed guide or resident direct relative on scheduled rivers and for trout beyond 800 m of a highway.
Trout seasons 2026-27: zones 3, 5, 6 Feb 1 - Sep 15; zone 4 Feb 1 - Sep 7; zone 2 Mar 1 - Sep 7.
Brook trout and ouananiche: 12 fish or 2.25 kg plus 1 fish per day; Eagle Plateau Management Zone: 6 fish or 1.13 kg plus 1.
Arctic char and northern pike: 2 per day, 4 in possession. Lake trout: zones 3-6, 3 per day.
Salmon: total of 2 retained (max 1 on Class 2 rivers, none on Class 0); up to 3 catch-and-release per day.
Torngat Mountains National Park needs a separate park fishing licence.

Rules change. Always check the official page before you fish.

Boat ramps and marinas

The map above shows 0 boat ramps and 0 marinas from OpenStreetMap. Tap any dot for directions.

Sources

Checked October 2026. BigJoe does not invent facts: every number on this page comes from the sources listed above.