Lac a l'Ours Fishing, SE of Normandin, Quebec

• Overview

  Out in Saguenay/Lac-Saint-Jean, Quebec, sits Lac a l'Ours. The bank is 384 metres above sea level. Normandin lies 68 km from the water. Then Albanel, 69 km, and Dolbeau-Mistassini, 82 km. Close by you have: Lac Chanceux a shade over 1 km, Lac de la Carpe just 1.3 km, Lac Pitou a shade over 1.4 km, Lac du Siffleux just 2 km and Lac Manon a shade over 2.4 km. This one is safely inside the county line.

• Where to Fish on Lac a l'Ours

  There is no published depth for this one, so start shallow and work out. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. Across Saguenay/Lac-Saint-Jean, recorded fish 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. At Lac a l'Ours the first feature you find is worth twenty minutes.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The warmest month averages 16°C, the coldest about -19°C. Long winters and short summers set the pattern. Firm cover through the cold months, then open water from early May. Averages place the thaw at early May and the freeze at mid November. The first weeks of open water and the last are the ones to plan for. It holds true on Lac a l'Ours more years than not.

• Tackle & Baits

  Access status is simply unknown for this water. Access is unmapped, which usually means a farm track and a walk. For the pike, wire up and throw larger lures along the weed edges. Sort the permit out before you load the car. Some water is controlled locally without a sign saying so. For a change of water, Lac Chanceux is 1 km distant. Treat Lac a l'Ours as unsettled until someone local tells you otherwise.