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

• Overview

  You will find Lac Gerard in Saguenay/Lac-Saint-Jean, Quebec. The surface lies 454 metres up. The water covers some 10 hectares, so pick a bank rather than trying to cover it all. Around 1.8 km of margin, front to back. For supplies, Roberval is 44 km out. Saint-Prime is 46 km away, with Saint-Félicien at 48 km. It sits well inside its county, with no border complications.

• Where to Fish on Lac Gerard

  No chart reached our records; the first cast is your sounding. This is a lake, so the margins and the first drop matter most. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. Records held for Saguenay/Lac-Saint-Jean cover 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. Treat Lac Gerard as a water to read rather than to cover.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Typical July readings run about 17°C; by January the average is down near -17°C. Cold dominates the calendar on water this far north. Winter fishing happens on the ice here, with open water back around early May. Open water usually runs from early May until about mid November. Fish feed hardest at the start and the close of the open season. Plan any trip to Lac Gerard around it.

• Tackle & Baits

  The access position is unclear from public sources. This is a natural basin, not a dammed one. Mapping is blank for access, so scout the approach before committing the car. A wire trace and a big bright lure handle the pike; deep water asks for a heavier spoon. Where access is informal, keep it that way by behaving. Where parking is tight, arriving early solves most problems. Failing this one, try Lac aux Puces, 0.6 km away. What applies at Lac Gerard may have changed since it was mapped.