Lac des Souches Fishing Guide, Saguenay/Lac-Saint-Jean, Quebec

• Overview

  Quebec holds Lac des Souches, in Saguenay/Lac-Saint-Jean. It stands 405 metres above sea level. Surface area runs to about 8 hectares — small enough to read in one session. Some 42 km away sits Roberval, the nearest settlement. For a city, Saguenay is 119 km off. Within a short drive: Lac du Pit de Gravelle just 2 km, Grand lac Verreault at 2.4 km, Lac du Gros Canard just 2.6 km, Lac Castor at 2.8 km and Lac Blouin just 3.1 km. The nearest boundary is a fair way off.

• Where to Fish on Lac des Souches

  The records we hold are silent on depth, so plan to find it yourself. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. Bays and points beat straight shoreline every time on water like this. County-wide records name northern pike, Atlantic salmon, lake whitefish and fallfish. Some of the species recorded here are protected or tightly regulated, so check what may be targeted before you fish. Read Lac des Souches for ten minutes before the first cast goes out.

• Seasonal Patterns

  July runs about 16°C on average, January about -17°C. Everything is compressed into the middle of the year. Winter locks it down, and early May brings it back. Average temperatures cross freezing around early May in spring and again near mid November in autumn. June through September is the settled part of the year, with the shoulders busier for fish. That is the shape of the year on Lac des Souches.

• Tackle & Baits

  The rules here are undocumented as far as public sources go. Access points are not mapped for this water, which suits people who like quiet. For the pike, wire up and throw larger lures along the weed edges. A landowner's word beats anything printed elsewhere. Access can change hands, so last year's answer may not hold. The nearest alternative is Lac du Pit de Gravelle, 2 km out. Signs at Lac des Souches carry more weight than any list.