Fishing at Lac de la Croix, Saguenay/Lac-Saint-Jean, Quebec

• Overview

  Lac de la Croix lies in Saguenay/Lac-Saint-Jean, in Quebec. Elevation runs to 639 metres. At 1.69 sq km this is proper open water rather than a pond. Around 15 km of bank, which is a long day on foot. Few waters listed in Saguenay/Lac-Saint-Jean are bigger. Saint-Fulgence sits 67 km from here and is the nearest stop. Saguenay is the closest city, 79 km away. There is no boundary nearby to worry about.

• Where to Fish on Lac de la Croix

  No published figure covers depth, so learn it as you fish. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. 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. Several of these carry legal protection or closed seasons; the rulebook comes before the rod. Lac de la Croix gives up more to patience than to distance.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Typical July readings run about 15°C; by January the average is down near -18°C. Open water arrives late and leaves early, which concentrates the fishing. Ice fishing carries the winter, and the water opens about mid May. Open water usually runs from mid May until about early November. May into June fishes hardest, and September gives a second good stretch before the lid returns. The season on Lac de la Croix rarely departs from it.

• Tackle & Baits

  Public data does not answer the access question here. It formed naturally, so levels move with rainfall rather than with a gate. Nothing is mapped in the way of a ramp or car park within a short radius. For the pike, wire up and throw larger lures along the weed edges. Parking space is the usual limit rather than the bank itself. Some water is controlled locally without a sign saying so. If the gate is shut, Lac de la Chaise at 1.6 km is the nearest alternative. Check the position on Lac de la Croix before loading the car.