Lac a Jim Fishing Guide, Saguenay/Lac-Saint-Jean, Quebec

• Overview

  Look for Lac a Jim in the Saguenay/Lac-Saint-Jean part of Quebec. The water sits 201 metres up. It measures some 4.79 sq km, and wind has room to build across it. The shoreline runs to about 47 km, far more than one trip can cover. Few waters listed in Saguenay/Lac-Saint-Jean are bigger. Normandin sits 25 km from the bank. Albanel is 26 km away, with Dolbeau-Mistassini at 40 km. The county line is nowhere near, so one local authority covers the water.

• Where to Fish on Lac a Jim

  We hold no survey for this water; read the slope of the shoreline instead. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. Species logged across Saguenay/Lac-Saint-Jean include northern pike, Atlantic salmon, lake whitefish and fallfish. Some of the species recorded here are protected or tightly regulated, so check what may be targeted before you fish. Treat Lac a Jim as a water to read rather than to cover.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Climate normals give 17°C for July and -19°C for January. The season is measured in weeks rather than months. Break-up comes around early May, and the run that follows is short and strong. Open water usually runs from early May until about mid November. Look to early summer and the first cool weeks of autumn. Lac a Jim runs to that rhythm year in and year out.

• Tackle & Baits

  Our records carry no access rule either way. No dam controls it, and the level follows the season. No made access appears within a short radius, so plan to park on a verge and walk. For the pike, wire up and throw larger lures along the weed edges. Rules for this water may differ from the county norm. Access can change hands, so last year's answer may not hold. Should this one be busy, Lac Lambert is 1.5 km off. The position on Lac a Jim is worth confirming on the day.