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

• Overview

  Lac du Relais lies in Saguenay/Lac-Saint-Jean, Quebec. The bank is 675 metres above sea level. The whole thing is a single swim; walk it in a minute. Most waters listed here for Saguenay/Lac-Saint-Jean are larger. The closest town, Saint-Honoré, is 52 km away. It is 63 km to Saguenay, the nearest city. In the same area: Lac Picard 0.8 km, Lac Legendre after 0.8 km, Lac Brule 1.7 km, Lac Hawkins after 1.9 km and Lac du Miroir 2 km. It sits well inside its county, with no border complications.

• Where to Fish on Lac du Relais

  No depth figure has reached our records, which makes a plummet useful. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. Records held for Saguenay/Lac-Saint-Jean cover northern pike, Atlantic salmon and lake whitefish. Several of these carry legal protection or closed seasons; the rulebook comes before the rod. Lac du Relais gives up more to patience than to distance.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Expect July near 15°C and January near -19°C on the long-run figures. The season is measured in weeks rather than months. Count the season from break-up, usually mid May. Break-up sits around mid May on average, with the water closing again about early November. June through September is the settled part of the year, with the shoulders busier for fish. Time your trip to Lac du Relais by conditions rather than dates.

• Tackle & Baits

  There is no clear statement anywhere on who can fish it. Nothing is mapped in the way of a ramp or car park within a short radius. For the pike, wire up and throw larger lures along the weed edges. Where the road in crosses private land, ask first. Barbless rules turn up on managed water more often than not. Failing this one, try Lac Picard, 0.8 km away. The position on Lac du Relais is worth confirming on the day.