Lac Carquois, Quebec: Fishing Spots and Seasons

• Overview

  The Saguenay/Lac-Saint-Jean end of Quebec holds Lac Carquois. The surface lies 393 metres up. Around 63 hectares of surface means several distinct areas to work. The full circuit measures close to 4.3 km on foot. It ranks high for size among our Saguenay/Lac-Saint-Jean listings. Chibougamau sits 86 km from here and is the nearest stop. The big place round here is Saguenay, 239 km distant. It sits well inside the county, so one set of rules covers it.

• Where to Fish on Lac Carquois

  Our records hold no depth for this water. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. Reported across Saguenay/Lac-Saint-Jean: 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. Fish Lac Carquois to its features, not to its size.

• Seasonal Patterns

  July is the warm end of the year here, averaging about 16°C, while January sits near -19°C. This is a two-season water: locked, then wide open. Ice-out usually falls in early May, and the weeks after it fish hardest. Averages suggest open water from about early May through to roughly mid November. The shoulder weeks of the open season are the productive ones. It sets the rhythm of the year at Lac Carquois.

• Tackle & Baits

  The rules here are undocumented as far as public sources go. This is a natural basin, not a dammed one. 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. Season dates differ by species, so read the table. A polite question at the farm gate opens more banks than anything else. Lac Geveze, 1.6 km away, makes the obvious fallback. Check the position on Lac Carquois before loading the car.