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

• Overview

  Set in Saguenay/Lac-Saint-Jean, Lac des Epiceas is a Quebec water. This is taiga ground. Around 12 hectares of surface means several distinct areas to work. A shoreline of some 2.4 km keeps the choices simple. The nearest town is Pont Rouge, 39 km away. Saguenay is the closest city, 85 km away. The nearest edge is a long way off, so local rules apply throughout.

• Where to Fish on Lac des Epiceas

  No depth figure has reached our records, which makes a plummet useful. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. Across Saguenay/Lac-Saint-Jean, recorded fish 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. Fish Lac des Epiceas to its features, not to its size.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Averages here run 17°C at the top of summer and -19°C at the bottom of winter. The freeze holds for the better part of the year. Expect a solid lid for months and a thaw around early May. Ice usually gives way near early May, and forms again about mid November. Reckon on open water from spring through to late autumn, with May and June the strongest. On Lac des Epiceas the same rules apply, with local timing.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether the bank is open is not something our records settle. Records list it as a natural water body rather than an impoundment. Nothing in the way of made access shows up nearby: no ramp, no car park, no path. For the pike, wire up and throw larger lures along the weed edges. Check whether a boat is allowed before you tow one. Close seasons apply to some species and not others. Failing this one, try Lac a Moffat, 1.4 km away. Treat Lac des Epiceas as unsettled until someone local tells you otherwise.