Lac des Roches Fishing near Pont Rouge, Quebec

• Overview

  Saguenay/Lac-Saint-Jean, Quebec, is where Lac des Roches sits. The water sits 394 metres up. Small at around 9 hectares: two anglers spread out cover most of it. The nearest town is Pont Rouge, 76 km away. Sainte-Jeanne-d'Arc follows at 77 km, then Labrecque at 79 km. Not far off: Lac Aime lies 0.4 km on, Lac du Cran about 0.7 km, Lac aux Loutres lies 0.8 km on, Lac Sans Fond about 0.9 km and Lac de la Coupe a Blanc lies 1.4 km on. It lies deep inside the county rather than near an edge.

• Where to Fish on Lac des Roches

  There is no published depth for this one, so start shallow and work out. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. Open biodiversity records for Saguenay/Lac-Saint-Jean list northern pike, Atlantic salmon and lake whitefish. At least one recorded species is protected in parts of its range; read the local rules before targeting anything. The near bank of Lac des Roches is often the one people ignore.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Temperature averages peak at 16°C in July and bottom out at -19°C in January. Long winters and short summers set the pattern. Count on hard cover from midwinter, and open water from early May. From about early May to around mid November, expect open water on the long-run figures. Spring is short and heavy here; autumn is longer and steadier. Keep it in mind when planning a trip to Lac des Roches.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether you may fish here is not something records settle. Nothing formal is recorded here: no ramp, no car park, no marked path. A wire trace and a big bright lure handle the pike; deep water asks for a heavier spoon. Gates get locked out of season on water like this. Close seasons apply to some species and not others. Lac Aime at 0.4 km is the sensible second choice. Check the position at Lac des Roches before loading the car.