Lac Fernand Fishing near Pont Rouge, Quebec

• Overview

  Lac Fernand is one of the Saguenay/Lac-Saint-Jean listings for Quebec. The setting is boreal forest on every side. The water measures roughly 2 hectares, so nothing here is far from anything else. Our Saguenay/Lac-Saint-Jean list holds plenty of bigger water. The closest town, Pont Rouge, is 62 km distant. For a city, Saguenay is 140 km off. The county line is nowhere near, so one local authority covers the water.

• Where to Fish on Lac Fernand

  Depth remains unrecorded, so treat the first session as a survey. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. Saguenay/Lac-Saint-Jean records list northern pike, Atlantic salmon, lake whitefish and fallfish among the fish reported. At least one recorded species is protected in parts of its range; read the local rules before targeting anything. At Lac Fernand the water rewards a slow, careful approach.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Average temperature peaks around 17°C in July and bottoms out near -20°C in January. The freeze holds for the better part of the year. Ice-out usually falls in early May, and the weeks after it fish hardest. Averages suggest open water from about early May through to roughly mid November. Reckon on open water from spring through to late autumn, with May and June the strongest. Expect Lac Fernand to follow that timing.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether the bank is open is not something our records settle. 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. Rules for this water may differ from the county norm. Some water is controlled locally without a sign saying so. Should this one be busy, Lac Laval is 0.6 km off. For Lac Fernand in particular, ask before you travel.