Lac de la Batch Fishing Guide, Saguenay/Lac-Saint-Jean, Quebec

• Overview

  Saguenay/Lac-Saint-Jean, Quebec, is where Lac de la Batch sits. It sits at 516 metres above sea level. Roughly 25 hectares: a morning covers one end, an afternoon the other. There is roughly 2.3 km of shoreline here, which is a short walk end to end. Compared with other Quebec water on our list, it sits high. The nearest place of any size is Pont Rouge, 129 km away. Saguenay sits 170 km out, and it is the nearest city worth the name. This one is safely inside the county line.

• Where to Fish on Lac de la Batch

  Depth went unrecorded, which puts the reading back on you. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. Records held for Saguenay/Lac-Saint-Jean cover 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. On Lac de la Batch a short move beats a long cast.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The warmest month averages 15°C, the coldest about -20°C. Winter runs most of the calendar, and everything worth doing happens in the gap. Hard cover is dependable here; it goes around mid May. The lid tends to go about mid May and return around early November. The open run goes from the thaw to the freeze, and April through October covers most of it. It holds true on Lac de la Batch more years than not.

• Tackle & Baits

  We have no record of the rules that apply on this bank. It formed naturally, so levels move with rainfall rather than with a gate. No launch point is recorded nearby, so this is a bank water unless you carry a boat 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. Some water is controlled locally without a sign saying so. Lac Menard at 2.9 km is the sensible second choice. For Lac de la Batch in particular, ask before you travel.