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

• Overview

  Within Saguenay/Lac-Saint-Jean, Quebec, you have Lac Besson. Height above sea level is 518 metres. About 3 hectares of surface, which puts the far bank inside easy sight. It is one of the smaller waters we list in Saguenay/Lac-Saint-Jean. Nearest town is Normandin, 42 km off. Saint-Félicien is 43 km and Albanel 50 km. No border sits close enough to matter.

• Where to Fish on Lac Besson

  We hold no depth figure for this one. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. Across Saguenay/Lac-Saint-Jean, recorded fish include northern pike, Atlantic salmon and lake whitefish. Some of the species recorded here are protected or tightly regulated, so check what may be targeted before you fish. The near bank of Lac Besson is often the one people ignore.

• Seasonal Patterns

  July runs about 16°C on average, January about -18°C. The season is measured in weeks rather than months. Break-up comes around early May, and the run that follows is short and strong. Ice usually gives way near early May, and forms again about mid November. May into June fishes hardest, and September gives a second good stretch before the lid returns. Keep it in mind when planning a trip to Lac Besson.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether you may fish here is not something records settle. Formal access is not mapped, so the last stretch is likely on foot. A wire trace and a big bright lure handle the pike; deep water asks for a heavier spoon. Provincial rules still apply whatever the bank status. Signs go up and come down, so check on the day. The nearest alternative is Lac Rabouin, 0.4 km out. Treat Lac Besson as unsettled until someone local tells you otherwise.