Lac de l'Etable, Quebec: Fishing Spots and Seasons

• Overview

  This water sits in Saguenay/Lac-Saint-Jean, Quebec. Elevation runs to 340 metres. Pont Rouge lies 32 km from the water. Sainte-Jeanne-d'Arc is 34 km and Dolbeau-Mistassini 41 km. More in the same country: Lac du Petit Pretre a shade over 1.1 km, Lac Guy at 1.6 km, Lac Risque a shade over 1.6 km, Lac Tryon at 1.7 km and Lac Ouitouche a shade over 1.7 km. No county line comes close, which keeps the paperwork simple.

• Where to Fish on Lac de l'Etable

  Depth here is unknown, so count the lead down before committing. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. Saguenay/Lac-Saint-Jean records list northern pike, Atlantic salmon, lake whitefish and fallfish among the fish reported. At least one recorded species is protected in parts of its range; read the local rules before targeting anything. On Lac de l'Etable that means starting tight and working out.

• Seasonal Patterns

  July is the warm end of the year here, averaging about 17°C, while January sits near -19°C. Long winters and short summers set the pattern. Ice-out usually falls in early May, and the weeks after it fish hardest. Break-up sits around early May on average, with the water closing again about mid November. September and October fish steadily right up to the freeze. Lac de l'Etable fishes to that pattern most years.

• Tackle & Baits

  No access rule appears in what we hold. Nothing in the way of made access shows up nearby: no ramp, no car park, no path. For the pike, wire up and throw larger lures along the weed edges. Rules for this water may differ from the county norm. A polite question at the farm gate opens more banks than anything else. For a change of water, Lac du Petit Pretre is 1.1 km distant. What applies at Lac de l'Etable may have changed since it was mapped.