Fishing at Lac du Dortoir, Saguenay/Lac-Saint-Jean, Quebec

• Overview

  Lac du Dortoir falls in Saguenay/Lac-Saint-Jean, part of Quebec. Everything around it is boreal forest. At roughly 2 hectares, the whole thing is within casting reach of a single walk. It is one of the smaller waters we list in Saguenay/Lac-Saint-Jean. The town to know is Saint-Honoré, 49 km out. The nearest city of size is Saguenay, 60 km away. The nearest boundary is well away, so one set of rules covers the water.

• Where to Fish on Lac du Dortoir

  There is no published depth for this one, so start shallow and work out. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. Records held for Saguenay/Lac-Saint-Jean cover 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 du Dortoir responds to conditions more than to tactics.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Typical July readings run about 15°C; by January the average is down near -19°C. This far north the hard season runs and runs. The lid usually goes in mid May, which opens the strongest weeks of the year. The water is typically free of ice between mid May and early November. Fish feed hardest at the start and the close of the open season. That is the shape of the year on Lac du Dortoir.

• Tackle & Baits

  We hold no note on access for this one. Launch at Débarcadère, 1.1 km from the water. For the pike, wire up and throw larger lures along the weed edges. Where a permit is needed, the nearest town usually sells it. Some ground is open by custom rather than by right, so tread carefully. For a change of water, Lac Tremblay is 0.5 km distant. For Lac du Dortoir in particular, ask before you travel.