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

• Overview

  Lac Etrangle stands in Saguenay/Lac-Saint-Jean, Quebec. Country round the bank runs to spruce and muskeg. It is high ground by Quebec standards. Saint-Fulgence sits 50 km from here and is the nearest stop. Saguenay sits 61 km out, and it is the nearest city worth the name. Close neighbours run: Lac Empreinte 0.5 km off, Lac de la Sangsue lies 0.7 km on, Lac Raymond 1.1 km off, Lac Ovide lies 1.3 km on and Lac du Loup-Cervier 1.5 km off. The nearest edge is a long way off, so local rules apply throughout.

• Where to Fish on Lac Etrangle

  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. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. Public occurrence data for Saguenay/Lac-Saint-Jean names northern pike, Atlantic salmon, lake whitefish and fallfish. At least one recorded species is protected in parts of its range; read the local rules before targeting anything. Lac Etrangle gives up its fish to patience rather than distance.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Expect July near 15°C and January near -19°C on the long-run figures. This far north the hard season runs and runs. The lid arrives early and lasts until roughly mid May. The open-water window runs from around mid May to about early November in an average year. June through September is the settled part of the year, with the shoulders busier for fish. That shapes the year on Lac Etrangle.

• Tackle & Baits

  There is no clear statement anywhere on who can fish it. No car park, ramp or path is recorded within easy reach of the shore. For the pike, wire up and throw larger lures along the weed edges. Rules differ from one water to the next round here. Where tickets apply, they are sold in the nearest town rather than on the bank. Lac Empreinte sits 0.5 km off and takes the overflow. For Lac Etrangle in particular, ask before you travel.