Petite Cascapedia River
The Petite Cascapedia River has two main branches, the East and West branch, which spring from the middle of the Chic-Chocs at over 700 meters in altitude. These two branches flow down from the mountains at an average gradient of 4.9 meters per kilometer and join together into one main section halfway down the river’s total 92 kilometer descent. About 20 kilometers from the mouth of the river in the Baie-des-Chaleurs, in the town of New Richmond, the river begins to flow from Northeast to Southwest. Salmon are easy to find in the crystal-clear and cold waters of the Petite.
There are roughly 60 pools on the Petite Cascapedia, including more than 48 within the ZEC, divided into four sectors (three limited access and one public access sector). The East and West branch sectors are both reserved for anadromous brook trout fishing, which is where you will find some of the largest specimens anywhere in the world. Wading and floating are both viable methods of fishing on this river, although some pools are accessible only by canoe. Here, some of the most productive pools have a cobblestone bottom. Restoration efforts have been ongoing on this river for the past few years, which means that adult salmon must be released during the entire fishing season. Yes, the Petite Cascapedia River offers world-class fishing opportunities for both Atlantic salmon and sea-run brook trout!