Fishing Lac Croteau in Saguenay/Lac-Saint-Jean, Quebec

• Overview

  Lac Croteau is listed under Saguenay/Lac-Saint-Jean, Quebec. It lies 628 metres above sea level. Surface area is around 43 hectares, which gives you real water without needing a boat. The whole outline is near 4.3 km, and most of it is walkable. On our Saguenay/Lac-Saint-Jean list it sits near the top for size. Some 37 km away sits Saint-Honoré, the nearest settlement. It is 47 km to Saguenay, the nearest city. The nearest boundary is well away, so one set of rules covers the water.

• Where to Fish on Lac Croteau

  Depth is not on record here, so the bank has to tell you. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. Open biodiversity records for Saguenay/Lac-Saint-Jean list northern pike, Atlantic salmon, lake whitefish and fallfish. Several of these carry legal protection or closed seasons; the rulebook comes before the rod. Lac Croteau responds to conditions more than to tactics.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Seasonal averages run from -19°C in January up to 15°C in July. Winter owns most of the year at this latitude. Winter fishing happens on the ice here, with open water back around mid May. On the long-run averages the water opens up around mid May and starts locking again about early November. Early summer and early autumn carry the open-water season. Lac Croteau runs to that rhythm year in and year out.

• Tackle & Baits

  There is no clear statement anywhere on who can fish it. This is a natural basin, not a dammed one. No car park, ramp or path is recorded within easy reach of the shore. For the pike, wire up and throw larger lures along the weed edges. Provincial rules still apply whatever the bank status. Rules for boats are stricter than rules for the bank in many places. Lac Rond at 0.8 km is the sensible second choice. Rules at Lac Croteau are worth checking on the day.