Lac Charley, Quebec: Fishing Spots and Seasons

• Overview

  Out in Saguenay/Lac-Saint-Jean, Quebec, sits Lac Charley. The land about it is taiga. With some 13 hectares of water, there is room for a boat but no need of one. The edge runs 1.6 km or so, easy to work in an afternoon. The nearest town is Roberval, 29 km away. The nearest city of size is Saguenay, 110 km away. The nearest edge is a long way off, so local rules apply throughout.

• Where to Fish on Lac Charley

  No depth figure appears in our records, so the bank has to tell you. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. Survey and observation records for Saguenay/Lac-Saint-Jean include 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 Charley before you fish it and the day goes better.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Temperature averages peak at 17°C in July and bottom out at -18°C in January. Long winters and short summers set the pattern. Once it clears, about early May, the fishing comes on quickly. Average temperatures cross freezing around early May in spring and again near mid November in autumn. The strong weeks are the first after break-up and the last before the freeze. On Lac Charley that shapes the whole year.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing we hold confirms whether access is permitted. No dam controls it, and the level follows the season. There is no recorded infrastructure here; expect to find your own way in. A wire trace and a big bright lure handle the pike; deep water asks for a heavier spoon. Rules differ from one water to the next round here. Signs go up and come down, so check on the day. The nearest alternative is Lac de l'Abri a Canot, 1.3 km out. Nothing here settles the position at Lac Charley for certain.