Lac Martel, Quebec: Fishing Spots and Seasons

• Overview

  Out in Saguenay/Lac-Saint-Jean, Quebec, sits Lac Martel. It sits in northern bush country. Around 54 hectares of surface means several distinct areas to work. Shoreline comes to about 4.5 km, small enough to learn in a day. On our Saguenay/Lac-Saint-Jean list it sits near the top for size. Saint-Félicien lies 52 km from the water. Normandin lies 52 km off, Saint-Prime another 60 km. Rules here are straightforward: one set of provincial rules.

• Where to Fish on Lac Martel

  No depth figure has reached our records, which makes a plummet useful. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. County-wide records name northern pike, Atlantic salmon, lake whitefish and fallfish. Several of these carry legal protection or closed seasons; the rulebook comes before the rod. Take Lac Martel a stretch at a time.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The warm month here averages 16°C; the cold one sits at -19°C. The fishing year opens late and shuts early. After early May the shallows warm and the fish move up. Expect the water usable from around early May until roughly mid November. Spring is short and heavy here; autumn is longer and steadier. Keep it in mind when planning a trip to Lac Martel.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing in our records says who may fish here. It formed naturally, so levels move with rainfall rather than with a gate. Formal access is not mapped, so the last stretch is likely on foot. A wire trace and a big bright lure handle the pike; deep water asks for a heavier spoon. Some banks are open only from a marked point. Rules for boats are stricter than rules for the bank in many places. Lac Jules at 1.4 km is the sensible second choice. Ask locally about Lac Martel if anything is unclear.