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

• Overview

  Out in Saguenay/Lac-Saint-Jean, Quebec, sits Lac des Mesanges. The water sits 533 metres up. At roughly 7 hectares, the whole thing is within casting reach of a single walk. It is high ground by Quebec standards. Nearest town is Labrecque, 41 km off. The nearest city of size is Saguenay, 64 km away. No county line comes close, which keeps the paperwork simple.

• Where to Fish on Lac des Mesanges

  Depth is unmeasured here, so let the shoreline guide you. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. 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. Protected fish appear in the records for this area, so treat the list as information, not an invitation. Lac des Mesanges gives up its fish to patience rather than distance.

• Seasonal Patterns

  In an average year July sits at 16°C and January at -18°C. This far north the hard season runs and runs. 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. From the thaw to midsummer the fishing improves week by week. It holds true on Lac des Mesanges more years than not.

• Tackle & Baits

  The paperwork position is blank for this one. Mapping shows an empty shoreline: no ramp, no jetty, no marked entry. For the pike, wire up and throw larger lures along the weed edges. Sort the permit out before you load the car. Where the way in crosses private ground, ask first. Lac des Corbeaux at 0.4 km is the sensible second choice. Rules at Lac des Mesanges are worth checking on the day.