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

• Overview

  Lac Bolduc is one of the Saguenay/Lac-Saint-Jean waters in Quebec. The surface lies 362 metres up. About 3 hectares of surface, which puts the far bank inside easy sight. Most waters listed here for Saguenay/Lac-Saint-Jean are larger. 90 km away sits Pont Rouge, the nearest town. Further out sit Sainte-Jeanne-d'Arc (92 km) and Sainte-Monique (96 km). No county line comes close, which keeps the paperwork simple.

• Where to Fish on Lac Bolduc

  No depth figure has reached our records, which makes a plummet useful. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. 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. Fish Lac Bolduc where the bottom changes rather than where it looks deep.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Between January at about -19°C and July at about 16°C, the water has a wide range to work through. The freeze holds for the better part of the year. The open season starts with the thaw, near enough early May. Break-up near early May, freeze-up near mid November: that is the shape of an average year. The strongest runs come at either end of the open season. It holds true on Lac Bolduc more years than not.

• Tackle & Baits

  Ownership and access are not documented in what we hold. Nothing is mapped in the way of a ramp or car park within a short radius. A wire trace and a big bright lure handle the pike; deep water asks for a heavier spoon. A landowner's word beats anything printed elsewhere. Barbless rules turn up on managed water more often than not. The nearest alternative is Lac du Loup, 0.8 km out. Check the position at Lac Bolduc before loading the car.