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

• Overview

  Out in Saguenay/Lac-Saint-Jean, Quebec, sits Lac Mara. The water sits 511 metres up. The water covers some 11 hectares, so pick a bank rather than trying to cover it all. Bank access stretches around 1.4 km in total. By elevation it is in the upper part of our Quebec listings. Normandin sits 40 km from the bank. Saguenay sits 149 km out, and it is the nearest city worth the name. No border sits close enough to matter.

• Where to Fish on Lac Mara

  Our records hold no depth for this water. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. Records held for Saguenay/Lac-Saint-Jean cover northern pike, Atlantic salmon, lake whitefish and fallfish. At least one recorded species is protected in parts of its range; read the local rules before targeting anything. At Lac Mara light and wind decide more than tackle does.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The warm month here averages 16°C; the cold one sits at -18°C. The freeze holds for the better part of the year. Hard cover is dependable here; it goes around early May. From about early May to around mid November, expect open water on the long-run figures. The strongest runs come at either end of the open season. Plan around that when you fish Lac Mara.

• Tackle & Baits

  The access position is unclear from public sources. No dam controls it, and the level follows the season. There is no mapped parking or launch nearby, which keeps numbers down. Pike mean a wire trace, no exceptions; big spoons and jerkbaits do the searching. Rules for this water may differ from the county norm. Keep proof of licence with you rather than in the car. If the gate is shut, Lac Laventie at 1.1 km is the nearest alternative. The position on Lac Mara is worth confirming on the day.