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

• Overview

  In Quebec, Lac des Lestes falls inside Saguenay/Lac-Saint-Jean. It sits at 455 metres above sea level. At 6 hectares it is the sort of place you fish for an evening rather than a day. Leblanc is the closest place, 75 km off. After that come Chapais at 112 km and Normandin at 113 km. Others close at hand: Lac Theix some 1.1 km off, Lac des Ecueils (1.4 km), Lac Merens some 1.8 km off, Lac Farlant (2 km) and Lac Coursy some 2.3 km off. It sits well inside its county, with no border complications.

• Where to Fish on Lac des Lestes

  Depth is not on record here, so the bank has to tell you. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. Reported across Saguenay/Lac-Saint-Jean: 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. On Lac des Lestes the quiet end is the one worth the extra effort.

• Seasonal Patterns

  On the long-term average, July reads 16°C and January reads -18°C. The fishing year opens late and shuts early. The lid usually sets by midwinter and gives way around early May. The season between ice runs from about early May to mid November. The weeks after the thaw and the ones before the freeze are the strongest. Plan around that when you fish Lac des Lestes.

• Tackle & Baits

  Public sources are silent on who controls the bank. There is no recorded infrastructure here; expect to find your own way in. For the pike, wire up and throw larger lures along the weed edges. Where access is informal, keep it that way by behaving. Where the way in crosses private ground, ask first. For a change of water, Lac Theix is 1.1 km distant. The position on Lac des Lestes is worth confirming on the day.