Lac de la Passe Fishing near Saint-Honoré, Quebec

• Overview

  In Quebec, Lac de la Passe falls inside Saguenay/Lac-Saint-Jean. Elevation runs to 481 metres. Roughly 47 hectares: a morning covers one end, an afternoon the other. The edge runs 3.2 km or so, easy to work in an afternoon. On our Saguenay/Lac-Saint-Jean list it sits near the top for size. The closest town, Saint-Honoré, is 93 km distant. Saint-Fulgence lies 98 km off, Labrecque another 99 km. No border sits close enough to matter.

• Where to Fish on Lac de la Passe

  Depth figures are not published for this one. 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. Across Saguenay/Lac-Saint-Jean, recorded fish include northern pike, Atlantic salmon, lake whitefish and fallfish. Several of these carry legal protection or closed seasons; the rulebook comes before the rod. At Lac de la Passe the water rewards a slow, careful approach.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Averages here run 16°C at the top of summer and -19°C at the bottom of winter. Winter owns most of the year at this latitude. The lid usually goes in mid May, which opens the strongest weeks of the year. From about mid May to around mid November, expect open water on the long-run figures. Reckon on open water from spring through to late autumn, with May and June the strongest. It sets the rhythm of the year at Lac de la Passe.

• Tackle & Baits

  We hold no note on access for this one. This is a natural basin, not a dammed one. We find no slipway, car park or made path within a short radius, so treat access as rough. For the pike, wire up and throw larger lures along the weed edges. Check locally before you travel, because a wasted drive is a long one. Some water is controlled locally without a sign saying so. Failing this one, try Lac Sud, 2.2 km away. Ask locally about Lac de la Passe if anything is unclear.