Lac Pied-de-Bas in Saguenay/Lac-Saint-Jean: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Lac Pied-de-Bas is a Saguenay/Lac-Saint-Jean water, in Quebec. It lies 366 metres above sea level. The water measures roughly 3 hectares, so nothing here is far from anything else. Most waters listed here for Saguenay/Lac-Saint-Jean are larger. 55 km away sits Métabetchouan, the nearest town. The nearest city of size is Saguenay, 121 km away. It lies deep inside the county rather than near an edge.

• Where to Fish on Lac Pied-de-Bas

  No figure exists for depth, so let the water show you. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. 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. The near bank of Lac Pied-de-Bas is often the one people ignore.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Seasonal averages run from -17°C in January up to 17°C in July. The freeze holds for the better part of the year. Hard water holds through the cold months, breaking up near early May. In an average year the thaw lands around early May and the freeze near mid November. Spring is short and heavy here; autumn is longer and steadier. Time your trip to Lac Pied-de-Bas by conditions rather than dates.

• Tackle & Baits

  The rules here are undocumented as far as public sources go. No car park, ramp or path is recorded within easy reach of the shore. For the pike, wire up and throw larger lures along the weed edges. Where the road in crosses private land, ask first. Barbless rules turn up on managed water more often than not. Should this one be busy, Lac Roger is 0.9 km off. Treat Lac Pied-de-Bas as unsettled until someone local tells you otherwise.