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

• Overview

  Lac Laurent-Simard lies in Saguenay/Lac-Saint-Jean, Quebec. It sits in taiga country. The water covers some 10 hectares, so pick a bank rather than trying to cover it all. There is roughly 2.2 km of shoreline here, which is a short walk end to end. Pont Rouge lies 72 km from the water. Sainte-Jeanne-d'Arc lies 73 km off, Labrecque another 74 km. No boundary runs near, so the local rules hold throughout.

• Where to Fish on Lac Laurent-Simard

  Open data we checked carries no depth for this water. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. 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 Laurent-Simard repays a walk before the first cast.

• Seasonal Patterns

  In an average year July sits at 16°C and January at -19°C. Cold dominates the calendar on water this far north. Look for the thaw near early May; the fishing lifts straight after. Average temperatures cross freezing around early May in spring and again near mid November in autumn. May into June fishes hardest, and September gives a second good stretch before the lid returns. The season on Lac Laurent-Simard rarely departs from it.

• Tackle & Baits

  The rules here are undocumented as far as public sources go. No dam controls it, and the level follows the season. There is no recorded infrastructure here; expect to find your own way in. A wire trace and a big bright lure handle the pike; deep water asks for a heavier spoon. Rules for this water may differ from the county norm. Close seasons apply to some species and not others. If the gate is shut, Lac du Bon Vent at 0.8 km is the nearest alternative. Where Lac Laurent-Simard is concerned, a local answer beats a written one.