Lac Mercure Fishing Guide, Saguenay/Lac-Saint-Jean, Quebec

• Overview

  Lac Mercure falls in Saguenay/Lac-Saint-Jean, part of Quebec. The bank is 589 metres above sea level. About 7 hectares of surface, which puts the far bank inside easy sight. Compared with other Quebec water on our list, it sits high. Nearest town is Saint-Honoré, 80 km off. It is 92 km to Saguenay, the nearest city. It lies deep inside the county rather than near an edge.

• Where to Fish on Lac Mercure

  Depth is unknown to us, and the shoreline is the better guide. Bays and points beat straight shoreline every time on water like this. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. Saguenay/Lac-Saint-Jean records list northern pike, Atlantic salmon, lake whitefish and fallfish among the fish reported. Some of the species recorded here are protected or tightly regulated, so check what may be targeted before you fish. On Lac Mercure the first feature you find is usually worth a session.

• Seasonal Patterns

  In an average year July sits at 15°C and January at -19°C. The window is narrow, and fish feed hard while it lasts. The lid usually goes in mid May, which opens the strongest weeks of the year. On the long-run averages the water opens up around mid May and starts locking again about early November. May into June fishes hardest, and September gives a second good stretch before the lid returns. It holds true on Lac Mercure more years than not.

• Tackle & Baits

  No public source sets out the position on this bank. Nothing is mapped in the way of a ramp or car park within a short radius. For the pike, wire up and throw larger lures along the weed edges. Season dates differ by species, so read the table. Where parking is tight, arriving early solves most problems. Failing this one, try Lac Noir, 2.2 km away. Treat Lac Mercure as unsettled until someone local tells you otherwise.