Lac Montreal Fishing in Saguenay/Lac-Saint-Jean, Quebec

• Overview

  The Saguenay/Lac-Saint-Jean entry here is Lac Montreal, in Quebec. The water sits 263 metres up. This is sizeable water at about 2.04 sq km, and a boat opens up most of it. The edge covers about 9.0 km, enough to hold several distinct areas. On our Saguenay/Lac-Saint-Jean list it sits near the top for size. For supplies, Normandin is 38 km out. Then Albanel, 40 km, and Dolbeau-Mistassini, 54 km. There is no boundary nearby to worry about.

• Where to Fish on Lac Montreal

  Depth is unmeasured here, so let the shoreline guide you. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. Species logged across Saguenay/Lac-Saint-Jean include northern pike, Atlantic salmon, lake whitefish and fallfish. Protected fish appear in the records for this area, so treat the list as information, not an invitation. The near bank of Lac Montreal is often the one people ignore.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The warmest month averages 17°C, the coldest about -19°C. This is a two-season water: locked, then wide open. Hard cover is dependable here; it goes around early May. The water is typically free of ice between early May and mid November. Early summer and early autumn carry the open-water season. Plan around that when you fish Lac Montreal.

• Tackle & Baits

  Access is not recorded for this water. This is a natural basin, not a dammed one. No made access appears within a short radius, so plan to park on a verge and walk. For the pike, wire up and throw larger lures along the weed edges. Check locally before you travel, because a wasted drive is a long one. Some stretches are reserved and marked as such on the ground. The nearest alternative is Petit lac Montreal, 1.6 km out. What applies at Lac Montreal may have changed since it was mapped.