Gold in Quebec is primarily found in the southern part of the province. There is a history of gold found throughout the Beauce and Eastern Townships, which was the location of the first gold rush in Canada in the 1950s. A young girl found a gold nugget the size of a hen’s egg in the sands of the Gilbert River, which is now named for her, and prospectors came in droves, panning every water course in the area.
In fact, the Gilbert River produced two of the largest nuggets ever found in Canada – the McDonald nugget weighing 45 ounces, and the Kilgour nugget weighing 52 ounces. The gold is widespread throughout this region as both hard rock and placer deposits.
There are glacial tills and non-glacial stream deposits present in southern Quebec. The richest gold-bearing gravels are non-glacial stream deposits, and these provide good opportunities for the recreational miner. Keep a watch for rusty brown stained gravels, as these gravels containing iron sulphide will produce the best for you. Gray colored gravels will probably hold very little gold.
Most of what you will find here is the very finely textured gold known as flour gold, although finding a nugget is not unheard of. A 71 troy ounce nugget was once recovered!
Also Read: Where to Sell Gold Nuggets that you Find
Check out the Chaudiere River coming down from the Border Mountains. Also Quebec shares one of the greatest gold producing areas in the world with Ontario – the Abitibi Gold Province in Val D’or and west to Rouyn-Noranda. There is plenty of hardrock mining operation in this area, so the likelihood is good that the stream gravels will produce gold as well. You should be able to find gold in most of the streams and rivers of the area.
Make sure you know the rules and regs before you start, and as always be aware of and respectful of any private property.
If you also like to rockhound a little, Quebec has been blessed with garnets, citrine and tourmaline.
Next: Gold Prospecting in Ontario