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

• Overview

  Lac des Menes sits within Saguenay/Lac-Saint-Jean in Quebec. This is northern bush ground. For supplies, Normandin is 59 km out. The nearest city of size is Saguenay, 174 km away. Also worth knowing: Lac au Sable at 1.4 km, Lac Karina about 2.9 km, Lac Grange at 3.8 km, Lac Judith about 3.9 km and Lac Wanish at 4.1 km. It sits well inside the county, so one set of rules covers it.

• Where to Fish on Lac des Menes

  Depth went unrecorded, which puts the reading back on you. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. Survey and observation records for Saguenay/Lac-Saint-Jean include northern pike, Atlantic salmon and lake whitefish. Some of the species recorded here are protected or tightly regulated, so check what may be targeted before you fish. Treat Lac des Menes as a water to read rather than to cover.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The year swings from about -19°C in January to roughly 16°C in July. Everything is compressed into the middle of the year. Firm cover through the cold months, then open water from early May. Climate averages put the opening at about early May and the closing near mid November. Early summer and early autumn carry the open-water season. The season on Lac des Menes follows the weather closely.

• Tackle & Baits

  The access position is unclear from public sources. Mapping is blank for access, so scout the approach before committing the car. A wire trace and a big bright lure handle the pike; deep water asks for a heavier spoon. Take the rules with you rather than trusting memory. Check whether bait restrictions apply before you buy any. For a change of water, Lac au Sable is 1.4 km distant. Treat Lac des Menes as unsettled until someone local tells you otherwise.