Lac au Poivre Fishing Guide, Saguenay/Lac-Saint-Jean, Quebec

• Overview

  Saguenay/Lac-Saint-Jean, Quebec, is where Lac au Poivre sits. It lies 520 metres above sea level. At some 7.58 sq km it is far too large to cover on foot in a day. The outline measures near 30 km, so a boat opens up water the bank never reaches. On our Saguenay/Lac-Saint-Jean list it sits near the top for size. For supplies, Saint-Honoré is 64 km out. Saguenay sits 76 km out, and it is the nearest city worth the name. No county line comes close, which keeps the paperwork simple.

• Where to Fish on Lac au Poivre

  Our records carry no depth, so judge it from the bank. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. Open biodiversity records for Saguenay/Lac-Saint-Jean list northern pike, Atlantic salmon and lake whitefish. At least one recorded species is protected in parts of its range; read the local rules before targeting anything. The near bank of Lac au Poivre is often the one people ignore.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Seasonal averages run from -19°C in January up to 15°C in July. The freeze holds for the better part of the year. The lid usually sets by midwinter and gives way around mid May. The water is typically free of ice between mid May and early November. The open run goes from the thaw to the freeze, and April through October covers most of it. It holds true on Lac au Poivre more years than not.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether you may fish here is not something records settle. This is a natural basin, not a dammed one. Access points are not mapped for this water, which suits people who like quiet. A wire trace and a big bright lure handle the pike; deep water asks for a heavier spoon. Sort the permit out before you load the car. A polite question at the farm gate opens more banks than anything else. Lac du Moulin, 2 km away, makes the obvious fallback. Treat access at Lac au Poivre as something to verify.