Lac Dessaline, Quebec: Fishing Spots and Seasons

• Overview

  Quebec holds Lac Dessaline, in Saguenay/Lac-Saint-Jean. The surface lies 552 metres up. It covers about 8 hectares, so this is small water you can walk round in under an hour. Compared with other Quebec water on our list, it sits high. For a base, Normandin sits 73 km out. It is 186 km to Saguenay, the nearest city. It sits well inside the county, so one set of rules covers it.

• Where to Fish on Lac Dessaline

  We hold no depth figure for this one. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. Species logged across 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. Take Lac Dessaline a stretch at a time.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Expect July near 15°C and January near -18°C on the long-run figures. The year here is short and sharp: a long lid, then a burst of open water. Winter fishing happens on the ice here, with open water back around early May. Break-up sits around early May on average, with the water closing again about early November. The middle of summer slows a little, with dawn and dusk carrying it. Lac Dessaline runs to its own calendar within the local pattern.

• Tackle & Baits

  We have no record of the rules that apply on this bank. Nothing built is recorded close to the bank here. A wire trace and a big bright lure handle the pike; deep water asks for a heavier spoon. Read any posted signs at the access point rather than assuming. Where the way in crosses private ground, ask first. Failing this one, try Lac Odile, 1.4 km away. Ask locally about Lac Dessaline if anything is unclear.