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

• Overview

  Quebec holds Lac Larouche, in Saguenay/Lac-Saint-Jean. It sits at 412 metres above sea level. At 4 hectares it is the sort of place you fish for an evening rather than a day. Start from Roberval, 39 km down the road. The nearest city of size is Saguenay, 111 km away. What else is close: Lac Claire some 1 km off, 1.1 km away is Lac Orignal, Lac du Corbeau some 1.2 km off, 1.2 km away is Lac Castor and Lac des Roches some 1.5 km off. No county line comes close, which keeps the paperwork simple.

• Where to Fish on Lac Larouche

  There is no recorded depth, so work from what you can see. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. County-wide records name northern pike, Atlantic salmon, lake whitefish and fallfish. Some of the species recorded here are protected or tightly regulated, so check what may be targeted before you fish. Lac Larouche gives up more to patience than to distance.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The seasonal spread runs -17°C to 17°C. The window is narrow, and fish feed hard while it lasts. The open season starts with the thaw, near enough early May. The water is typically free of ice between early May and mid November. The weeks after the thaw and the ones before the freeze are the strongest. It holds true on Lac Larouche more years than not.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether the bank is open is not something our records settle. Nothing built is recorded close to the bank here. Pike mean a wire trace, no exceptions; big spoons and jerkbaits do the searching. Where access is informal, keep it that way by behaving. Access can change hands, so last year's answer may not hold. The nearest alternative is Lac Claire, 1 km out. Check the position at Lac Larouche before loading the car.