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

• Overview

  Look for Lac Desmarais in the Saguenay/Lac-Saint-Jean part of Quebec. It lies 374 metres above sea level. It runs to roughly 13 hectares — big enough to hold fish away from the bank, small enough to learn. With about 1.8 km of edge, you can try several depths in one session. Roberval at 25 km is the nearest place to stop. For a city, Saguenay is 107 km off. This one is safely inside the county line.

• Where to Fish on Lac Desmarais

  Depth went unrecorded, which puts the reading back on you. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. Public occurrence data for Saguenay/Lac-Saint-Jean names 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. On Lac Desmarais the first feature you find is usually worth a session.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The seasonal spread runs -18°C to 17°C. The fishing year opens late and shuts early. The open season starts with the thaw, near enough early May. The lid tends to go about early May and return around mid November. Just after the ice goes and just before it returns, the fishing lifts. It holds true on Lac Desmarais more years than not.

• Tackle & Baits

  Our records carry no access rule either way. This is a natural basin, not a dammed one. Nothing built is recorded close to the bank here. Pike mean a wire trace, no exceptions; big spoons and jerkbaits do the searching. Check whether a boat is allowed before you tow one. Close seasons apply to some species and not others. The nearest alternative is Lac Jerry, 1.1 km out. Check the current arrangement for Lac Desmarais.