Lac des Iles Fishing, E of Normandin, Quebec

• Overview

  Lac des Iles is one of the Saguenay/Lac-Saint-Jean listings for Quebec. The land about it is northern bush. Surface area is around 59 hectares, which gives you real water without needing a boat. Some 6.2 km of bank gives room to move when the wind turns. Size puts it in the front rank of our Saguenay/Lac-Saint-Jean list. The closest town, Normandin, is 43 km away. For a city, Saguenay is 160 km off. It lies deep inside the county rather than near an edge.

• Where to Fish on Lac des Iles

  Without a survey to go on, judge depth from how the bank falls away. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. Reported across Saguenay/Lac-Saint-Jean: northern pike, Atlantic salmon, lake whitefish and fallfish. Protected fish appear in the records for this area, so treat the list as information, not an invitation. On Lac des Iles a short move beats a long cast.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Averages here run 16°C at the top of summer and -18°C at the bottom of winter. Water stays cold even at the height of the year. The freeze runs deep into the year, with break-up near early May. From about early May to around mid November, expect open water on the long-run figures. From the thaw to midsummer the fishing improves week by week. It holds true on Lac des Iles more years than not.

• Tackle & Baits

  Who may fish here is not settled in anything we hold. No dam controls it, and the level follows the season. There is no mapped parking or launch nearby, which keeps numbers down. A wire trace and a big bright lure handle the pike; deep water asks for a heavier spoon. Season dates differ by species, so read the table. Where the way in crosses private ground, ask first. For a change of water, Lac Mayot is 1.6 km distant. Check the position at Lac des Iles before loading the car.