Fishing at Lac Girard, Saguenay/Lac-Saint-Jean, Quebec

• Overview

  Lac Girard is a Saguenay/Lac-Saint-Jean water, Quebec side. The sea is 30 km distant. It runs to roughly 18 hectares — big enough to hold fish away from the bank, small enough to learn. By elevation it is in the upper part of our Quebec listings. Nearest place of any size is Saint-Fulgence, 34 km away. The nearest city of size is Saguenay, 45 km away. It sits well inside its county, with no border complications.

• Where to Fish on Lac Girard

  Depth is not on record here, which means reading the ground instead. Bays and points beat straight shoreline every time on water like this. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. Saguenay/Lac-Saint-Jean records list northern pike, Atlantic salmon and lake whitefish among the fish reported. Some of the species recorded here are protected or tightly regulated, so check what may be targeted before you fish. Lac Girard fishes better once you know its edges.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Temperature averages peak at 15°C in July and bottom out at -19°C in January. The year here is short and sharp: a long lid, then a burst of open water. Winter locks it down, and mid May brings it back. Climate figures give an open season running mid May to early November. September and October fish steadily right up to the freeze. Plan around that when you fish Lac Girard.

• Tackle & Baits

  Public sources are silent on who controls the bank. There are toilets 660 m off. A wire trace and a big bright lure handle the pike; deep water asks for a heavier spoon. Where the road in crosses private land, ask first. Some stretches are reserved and marked as such on the ground. The nearest alternative is Lac Villeneuve, 0.8 km out. Where Lac Girard is concerned, a local answer beats a written one.