Fishing at Lac Banane, Saguenay/Lac-Saint-Jean, Quebec

• Overview

  Out in Saguenay/Lac-Saint-Jean, Quebec, sits Lac Banane. Height above sea level is 434 metres. At 5 hectares it is the sort of place you fish for an evening rather than a day. Métabetchouan lies 49 km from the water. Chambord is 53 km and Roberval 56 km. Others within reach: Lac Basile after 1.4 km, Lac Avion the better part of 3 km, Lac Souder after 3 km, Lac Avoine the better part of 3.1 km and Petit lac du Depot after 3.2 km. The county line is nowhere near, so one local authority covers the water.

• Where to Fish on Lac Banane

  No depth figure appears in our records, so the bank has to tell you. Bays and points beat straight shoreline every time on water like this. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. Across Saguenay/Lac-Saint-Jean, recorded fish include northern pike, Atlantic salmon and lake whitefish. Protected fish appear in the records for this area, so treat the list as information, not an invitation. On Lac Banane the quiet end is the one worth the extra effort.

• Seasonal Patterns

  On the long-term average, July reads 17°C and January reads -17°C. Little of the calendar is open water, so timing counts for everything. Winter locks it down, and early May brings it back. Going by climate averages, expect open water from about early May until roughly mid November. Right after break-up, and again as the nights sharpen, is when to go. Keep it in mind when planning a trip to Lac Banane.

• Tackle & Baits

  No public source sets out the position on this bank. Access is unmapped, which usually means a farm track and a walk. A wire trace and a big bright lure handle the pike; deep water asks for a heavier spoon. Parking is often the real limit rather than the bank itself. Fishing rules and camping rules are set separately here. Lac Basile, 1.4 km away, makes the obvious fallback. Where Lac Banane is concerned, a local answer beats a written one.