Lac de la Calcite in Saguenay/Lac-Saint-Jean: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Lac de la Calcite is a Saguenay/Lac-Saint-Jean water, in Quebec. Spruce and muskeg runs right down to the water. The closest town, Dolbeau-Mistassini, is 72 km away. Then Pont Rouge, 72 km, and Albanel, 73 km. Water in the same corner: Lac Pouliot at 6.6 km, Lac Papillote within 7.2 km, Lac Cross at 7.2 km, Lac Roy within 7.4 km and Lac Pearson at 7.6 km. No county line comes close, which keeps the paperwork simple.

• Where to Fish on Lac de la Calcite

  No depth figure appears in our records, so the bank has to tell you. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. Fish documented in 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. At Lac de la Calcite light and wind decide more than tackle does.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Expect July to average close to 16°C, with January the cold end at about -20°C. A short, intense season is the rule this far north. The lid usually sets by midwinter and gives way around early May. Ice clears near early May and comes back about mid November in a typical year. Right after break-up, and again as the nights sharpen, is when to go. Lac de la Calcite fishes to that pattern most years.

• Tackle & Baits

  Our records carry no access rule either way. Access points are not mapped for this water, which suits people who like quiet. Pike mean a wire trace, no exceptions; big spoons and jerkbaits do the searching. Rules differ from one water to the next round here. Keep proof of licence with you rather than in the car. Lac Pouliot, 6.6 km away, makes the obvious fallback. Where Lac de la Calcite is concerned, a local answer beats a written one.