Lac Gibus Fishing in Saguenay/Lac-Saint-Jean, Quebec

• Overview

  The Saguenay/Lac-Saint-Jean end of Quebec holds Lac Gibus. It lies 573 metres above sea level. The water covers some 65 hectares, so pick a bank rather than trying to cover it all. Around 8.0 km of bank, which is a long day on foot. Few waters listed in Saguenay/Lac-Saint-Jean are bigger. The closest town, Mistissini, is 147 km distant. Chibougamau lies 206 km off, Pont Rouge another 234 km. It sits well inside its county, with no border complications.

• Where to Fish on Lac Gibus

  No figure exists for depth, so let the water show you. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. Bays and points beat straight shoreline every time on water like this. County-wide records name 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. At Lac Gibus the first feature you find is worth twenty minutes.

• Seasonal Patterns

  July runs about 14°C on average, January about -21°C. Cold dominates the year and the fishing works around it. Expect a solid lid for months and a thaw around mid May. Climate averages put the opening at about mid May and the closing near early November. Spring is short and heavy here; autumn is longer and steadier. It sets the rhythm of the year at Lac Gibus.

• Tackle & Baits

  The rules here are undocumented as far as public sources go. It formed naturally, so levels move with rainfall rather than with a gate. Nothing in the way of made access shows up nearby: no ramp, no car park, no path. Pike mean a wire trace, no exceptions; big spoons and jerkbaits do the searching. Where the road in crosses private land, ask first. Close seasons apply to some species and not others. Failing this one, try Lac Rigolo, 7.3 km away. For Lac Gibus, the notice at the access point is the final word.