Lac Merault, Quebec: Fishing Spots and Seasons

• Overview

  Set in Saguenay/Lac-Saint-Jean, Quebec, this is Lac Merault. The surface lies 438 metres up. It covers about 9 hectares, so this is small water you can walk round in under an hour. Supplies mean a trip to Leblanc, 71 km off. The nearest city of size is Saguenay, 219 km away. Nearest other option: Lac Larnas within 1.3 km, Lac Melin the better part of 1.4 km, Lac Busliere within 1.5 km, Lac Grenet the better part of 2.1 km and Lac Collan within 2.2 km. This one is safely inside the county line.

• Where to Fish on Lac Merault

  Depth is unmeasured here, so let the shoreline guide you. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. 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. Some of the species recorded here are protected or tightly regulated, so check what may be targeted before you fish. On Lac Merault that means starting tight and working out.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Averages move between -18°C in January and 16°C in July. Water stays cold even at the height of the year. The lid usually sets by midwinter and gives way around early May. The season between ice runs from about early May to mid November. June through September is the settled part of the year, with the shoulders busier for fish. That is the shape of the year on Lac Merault.

• Tackle & Baits

  There is no clear statement anywhere on who can fish it. Access points are not mapped for this water, which suits people who like quiet. A wire trace and a big bright lure handle the pike; deep water asks for a heavier spoon. Where access is informal, keep it that way by behaving. Keep proof of licence with you rather than in the car. For a change of water, Lac Larnas is 1.3 km distant. Check the position at Lac Merault before loading the car.