Nouvelle River
The 76 kilometer long Nouvelle River rises in the Chic-Chocs mountains and flows through the village of Nouvelle to its mouth at the western end of Baie-des-Chaleurs.
Despite the river's long history of sport fishing, the floating of timber in the late 1960s had a detrimental effect on the salmon. That's why the community, with the help of the Salmon Economic Development Plan, banded together to restore the Nouvelle. Stopping the floating of wood, massive seeding and protection measures gave the marine fauna a new lease on life. The result: in 1997, the river was opened to sport salmon fishing, managed by the Société de restauration et de gestion de la Nouvelle.
The Micmacs call this river "Tlapatantjitjg", meaning "like potatoes", in reference to its bed of mostly large rocks. It has 7 fishing sectors, 6 public sectors (39 pools) and 1 restricted access draw sector (18 pools), for a total of 57 pools. Unlike other salmon rivers, the fishing tends to improve as the season progresses, probably because the water remains cold and well-oxygenated at all times. Unless there's a flash flood, the water is exceptionally clear.
Fans of sea trout fishing, whose population continues to grow, will be delighted. According to some sources, the largest trout caught weighed over 5 kilograms (11 pounds). You'll love the Nouvelle River if you enjoy a calm, pressure-free fishing environment, surrounded by majestic mountains.
