Lac aux Goelands in Saguenay/Lac-Saint-Jean: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  This water sits in Saguenay/Lac-Saint-Jean, Quebec. The ground round it is northern bush. About 1.74 sq km, so local knowledge or a boat saves a lot of walking. With 7.5 km or so of shoreline, boat anglers cover ground the bank cannot. It ranks high for size among our Saguenay/Lac-Saint-Jean listings. Some 53 km away sits Roberval, the nearest settlement. Saint-Prime follows at 55 km, then Métabetchouan at 56 km. It sits well inside the county, so one set of rules covers it.

• Where to Fish on Lac aux Goelands

  Our records carry no depth, so judge it from the bank. Bays and points beat straight shoreline every time on water like this. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. County-wide records name northern pike, Atlantic salmon, lake whitefish and fallfish. At least one recorded species is protected in parts of its range; read the local rules before targeting anything. Read Lac aux Goelands before you fish it and the day goes better.

• Seasonal Patterns

  On the long-term average, July reads 16°C and January reads -17°C. Cold dominates the year and the fishing works around it. Count the season from break-up, usually early May. From about early May to around mid November, expect open water on the long-run figures. Right after break-up, and again as the nights sharpen, is when to go. The season on Lac aux Goelands follows the weather closely.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether the bank is open is not something our records settle. No dam controls it, and the level follows the season. Nothing in the way of made access shows up nearby: no ramp, no car park, no path. A wire trace and a big bright lure handle the pike; deep water asks for a heavier spoon. Ask in the nearest town if you are unsure. Night access is frequently treated as a separate matter. Should this one be busy, Lac Brassard is 2.1 km off. Ask locally about Lac aux Goelands if anything is unclear.