Fishing at Lac Le Bausais, Saguenay/Lac-Saint-Jean, Quebec

• Overview

  Look for Lac Le Bausais in Saguenay/Lac-Saint-Jean, Quebec. It sits at 477 metres above sea level. Surface area runs to roughly 2.83 sq km, so plan for one area rather than the whole. With 16 km or so of shoreline, boat anglers cover ground the bank cannot. Size puts it in the front rank of our Saguenay/Lac-Saint-Jean list. Mistissini lies 194 km from the water. Pont Rouge lies 233 km off, Sainte-Jeanne-d'Arc another 235 km. It lies deep inside the county rather than near an edge.

• Where to Fish on Lac Le Bausais

  We hold no depth figure for this one. This is a lake, so the margins and the first drop matter most. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. Species logged across 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. At Lac Le Bausais light and wind decide more than tackle does.

• Seasonal Patterns

  On the long-term average, July reads 15°C and January reads -21°C. Cold dominates the calendar on water this far north. Winter locks it down, and mid May brings it back. Climate averages put the opening at about mid May and the closing near early November. Just after the ice goes and just before it returns, the fishing lifts. Keep it in mind when planning a trip to Lac Le Bausais.

• Tackle & Baits

  Our records carry no access rule either way. Records list it as a natural water body rather than an impoundment. No built facilities appear in mapping around this water. Pike mean a wire trace, no exceptions; big spoons and jerkbaits do the searching. Rules for this water may differ from the county norm. Some water is controlled locally without a sign saying so. Lac aux Grandes Baies, 16 km away, makes the obvious fallback. Check the current arrangement for Lac Le Bausais.