Lac de l'Etrier Fishing near Saint-Félicien, Quebec

• Overview

  The Saguenay/Lac-Saint-Jean end of Quebec holds Lac de l'Etrier. The water sits 405 metres up. Around 10 hectares of surface means several distinct areas to work. The edge runs 1.7 km or so, easy to work in an afternoon. The closest town, Saint-Félicien, is 26 km distant. Beyond it, Normandin at 28 km and Saint-Prime at 35 km. One jurisdiction covers this water end to end.

• Where to Fish on Lac de l'Etrier

  There is no published depth for this one, so start shallow and work out. Bays and points beat straight shoreline every time on water like this. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. Saguenay/Lac-Saint-Jean records list northern pike, Atlantic salmon, lake whitefish and fallfish among the fish reported. Protected fish appear in the records for this area, so treat the list as information, not an invitation. Lac de l'Etrier gives up its fish to patience rather than distance.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Between January at about -18°C and July at about 16°C, the water has a wide range to work through. The season is measured in weeks rather than months. Hard water holds through the cold months, breaking up near early May. Break-up near early May, freeze-up near mid November: that is the shape of an average year. The strongest runs come at either end of the open season. Anyone fishing Lac de l'Etrier regularly works to that calendar.

• Tackle & Baits

  Who may fish here is not settled in anything we hold. This is a natural basin, not a dammed one. Mapping records no facilities at all near this water. Pike mean a wire trace, no exceptions; big spoons and jerkbaits do the searching. Where the road in crosses private land, ask first. Rules for boats are stricter than rules for the bank in many places. Lac Equerre sits 1.5 km off and takes the overflow. Check the position on Lac de l'Etrier before loading the car.