Lac Guignard, Quebec: Fishing Spots and Seasons

• Overview

  Look for Lac Guignard in the Saguenay/Lac-Saint-Jean part of Quebec. It sits at 421 metres above sea level. At some 1.22 sq km it is far too large to cover on foot in a day. The margin runs to about 9.6 km in total. Size puts it in the front rank of our Saguenay/Lac-Saint-Jean list. Supplies mean a trip to Normandin, 87 km off. It is 203 km to Saguenay, the nearest city. The nearest boundary is well away, so one set of rules covers the water.

• Where to Fish on Lac Guignard

  Our records hold no depth for this water. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. Survey and observation records for Saguenay/Lac-Saint-Jean include 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. On Lac Guignard that means starting tight and working out.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Expect July to average close to 16°C, with January the cold end at about -18°C. The season is measured in weeks rather than months. Firm cover through the cold months, then open water from early May. Open water usually runs from early May until about mid November. May into June fishes hardest, and September gives a second good stretch before the lid returns. The season on Lac Guignard rarely departs from it.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether you may fish here is not something records settle. This is a natural basin, not a dammed one. No made access appears within a short radius, so plan to park on a verge and walk. A wire trace and a big bright lure handle the pike; deep water asks for a heavier spoon. Sort the permit out before you load the car. A polite question at the farm gate opens more banks than anything else. Lac Sivadier at 1.4 km is the sensible second choice. Rules at Lac Guignard are worth checking on the day.