Dozois Reservoir

Welcome to the vast, breathtaking expanse of the Dozois Reservoir, located deep within the immense La Vérendrye Wildlife Reserve in the province of Quebec. As you look out over the dark, sprawling waters, you are witnessing an…

The journey to the Dozois Reservoir is an integral, highly psychological part of the experience. Traveling along Route 117, you penetrate deep into the sprawling, seemingly infinite expanse of the Canadian Shield. …

Standing on the shoreline, we must analyze the hydrological history of this massive basin. The Dozois Reservoir constitutes the very beginning, the headwaters, of the historic Ottawa River, a waterway that famously served as the…

Turning our attention to the human infrastructure within the reserve, we encounter the essential Quebec cultural institution of the 'pourvoirie', or outfitting lodge. Operations like Dorval Lodge, situated directly on the…

Let us venture out onto the open water to analyze the highly specific, incredibly popular pursuit of the walleye, known locally and affectionately as the 'doré'. This fish is the absolute undisputed prize of the Dozois Reservoir,…

While the walleye is sought for its culinary value, an entirely different, much more aggressive predator patrols the shallower, weed-choked bays of the reservoir: the Northern Pike, or 'brochet'. To encounter a mature northern…

After a successful morning navigating the winds and the depths, an essential, highly anticipated ritual of the Dozois experience takes place: the shoreline shore lunch. Guides will navigate the boat to a secluded, rocky island,…

As our analytical exploration of the Dozois Reservoir draws to its conclusion, take a final moment to stand on the shoreline and absorb the immense, uncompromising scale of this landscape. The waters of the Ottawa River, held…