Fishing Lac des Brises in Saguenay/Lac-Saint-Jean, Quebec

• Overview

  The Saguenay/Lac-Saint-Jean end of Quebec holds Lac des Brises. It sits in taiga country. Small at around 7 hectares: two anglers spread out cover most of it. Start from Pont Rouge, 78 km down the road. The nearest city of size is Saguenay, 105 km away. Also on the doorstep: Lac des Vents out at 1.2 km, Lac Epingle 1.3 km away, Lac de la Belle Randonnee out at 1.4 km, Lac en Galoche 1.8 km away and Lac aux Caribous out at 2.1 km. There is no boundary nearby to worry about.

• Where to Fish on Lac des Brises

  Our records hold no depth for this water. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. Open biodiversity records for Saguenay/Lac-Saint-Jean list northern pike, Atlantic salmon, lake whitefish and fallfish. Some of the species recorded here are protected or tightly regulated, so check what may be targeted before you fish. On Lac des Brises that means starting tight and working out.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Between January at about -19°C and July at about 16°C, the water has a wide range to work through. The ice season is long here and the open one short. Ice fishing carries the winter, and the water opens about early May. Ice usually gives way near early May, and forms again about mid November. Early summer and early autumn carry the open-water season. Expect Lac des Brises to follow that timing.

• Tackle & Baits

  The rules here are undocumented as far as public sources go. 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. Some banks are open only from a marked point. Signs go up and come down, so check on the day. For a change of water, Lac des Vents is 1.2 km distant. Rules at Lac des Brises are worth checking on the day.