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

• Overview

  Out in Saguenay/Lac-Saint-Jean, Quebec, sits Lac de la Tabatiere. The bank is 732 metres above sea level. It sits higher than most water we list in Quebec. The closest town, Saint-Honoré, is 47 km distant. The nearest city of size is Saguenay, 58 km away. Close neighbours run: Lac de la Chique at 0.5 km, Lac Mousse a shade over 0.8 km, Lac Ernest at 1 km, Lac Truchon a shade over 1.3 km and Petit lac Truchon at 1.4 km. The county line is nowhere near, so one local authority covers the water.

• Where to Fish on Lac de la Tabatiere

  There is no recorded depth, so work from what you can see. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. County-wide records name 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 Tabatiere the first feature you find is worth twenty minutes.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Expect July near 15°C and January near -19°C on the long-run figures. Winter owns most of the year at this latitude. The lid usually sets by midwinter and gives way around mid May. From about mid May to around early November, expect open water on the long-run figures. Early summer and early autumn carry the open-water season. That is the shape of the year on Lac de la Tabatiere.

• Tackle & Baits

  The access position is unclear from public sources. Launching is at Débarcadère, about 110 m away. Parking within 140 m means no long carry with tackle. A camping area sits within 680 m of here. Pike mean a wire trace, no exceptions; big spoons and jerkbaits do the searching. Gates get locked out of season on water like this. Barbless rules turn up on managed water more often than not. Lac de la Chique sits 0.5 km off and takes the overflow. Ask locally about Lac de la Tabatiere if anything is unclear.