Lac Dauphin Fishing near Chute-aux-Outardes, Quebec

• Overview

  Saguenay/Lac-Saint-Jean, Quebec, is where Lac Dauphin sits. The country here is spruce and muskeg. It runs to roughly 24 hectares — big enough to hold fish away from the bank, small enough to learn. Shoreline comes to about 2.6 km, small enough to learn in a day. Compared with other Quebec water on our list, it sits high. 195 km away sits Chute-aux-Outardes, the nearest town. Then Hauterive, 196 km, and Betsiamites, 197 km. There is no boundary nearby to worry about.

• Where to Fish on Lac Dauphin

  Nothing we hold settles how deep this runs. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. Bays and points beat straight shoreline every time on water like this. Public occurrence data for Saguenay/Lac-Saint-Jean names 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. Lac Dauphin repays a walk before the first cast.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The warmest month averages 14°C, the coldest about -21°C. This far north the hard season runs and runs. Look for the thaw near mid May; the fishing lifts straight after. Break-up near mid May, freeze-up near early November: that is the shape of an average year. Late spring and early autumn carry the year between them. On Lac Dauphin the same rules apply, with local timing.

• Tackle & Baits

  Public sources are silent on who controls the bank. Records list it as a natural water body rather than an impoundment. Access is unmapped, which usually means a farm track and a walk. For the pike, wire up and throw larger lures along the weed edges. Rules differ from one water to the next round here. Access can change hands, so last year's answer may not hold. If the gate is shut, Lac du Relais at 0.9 km is the nearest alternative. Signs at Lac Dauphin carry more weight than any list.