Grand lac Jourdain in Saguenay/Lac-Saint-Jean: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Set in Saguenay/Lac-Saint-Jean, Grand lac Jourdain is a Quebec water. Beyond the shoreline you have taiga. It measures some 6.51 sq km, and wind has room to build across it. On our Saguenay/Lac-Saint-Jean list it sits near the top for size. You are 105 km from Pont Rouge. The nearest city of size is Saguenay, 176 km away. The nearest edge is a long way off, so local rules apply throughout.

• Where to Fish on Grand lac Jourdain

  Depth figures are not published for this one. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. Records held for Saguenay/Lac-Saint-Jean cover northern pike, Atlantic salmon, lake whitefish and fallfish. Protected fish appear in the records for this area, so treat the list as information, not an invitation. On Grand lac Jourdain that means starting tight and working out.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Average temperature peaks around 16°C in July and bottoms out near -20°C in January. Winter owns most of the year at this latitude. The freeze runs deep into the year, with break-up near early May. Climate averages put the opening at about early May and the closing near mid November. Fish feed hardest at the start and the close of the open season. It sets the rhythm of the year at Grand lac Jourdain.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether the bank is open is not something our records settle. Public data shows nothing built here, so treat the whole approach as informal. For the pike, wire up and throw larger lures along the weed edges. Sort the permit out before you load the car. Rules for boats are stricter than rules for the bank in many places. Failing this one, try Lac du Partage, 1.7 km away. Nothing here settles the position at Grand lac Jourdain for certain.