Lac des Aulnes in Saguenay/Lac-Saint-Jean: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Lac des Aulnes sits in Saguenay/Lac-Saint-Jean, out in Quebec. It sits at 383 metres above sea level. It measures about 26 hectares, which is a comfortable size for bank fishing. Shoreline comes to about 4.3 km, small enough to learn in a day. For supplies, Métabetchouan is 44 km out. Saguenay sits 106 km out, and it is the nearest city worth the name. No border sits close enough to matter.

• Where to Fish on Lac des Aulnes

  No chart reached our records; the first cast is your sounding. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. Species logged across 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. Take Lac des Aulnes a stretch at a time.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The range across the year is -17°C to 17°C. The season is measured in weeks rather than months. Hard cover is dependable here; it goes around early May. Ice clears near early May and comes back about mid November in a typical year. Look to early summer and the first cool weeks of autumn. Plan any trip to Lac des Aulnes around it.

• Tackle & Baits

  We have no record of the rules that apply on this bank. Records list it as a natural water body rather than an impoundment. Nothing built is recorded close to the bank here. For the pike, wire up and throw larger lures along the weed edges. Look for a notice board at the entrance. Keep proof of licence with you rather than in the car. Lac Savane, 1.1 km away, makes the obvious fallback. The position on Lac des Aulnes is worth confirming on the day.