Fishing at Lac Pivin, Saguenay/Lac-Saint-Jean, Quebec

• Overview

  Saguenay/Lac-Saint-Jean, Quebec, is where Lac Pivin sits. The country round it is taiga from end to end. Surface area runs to about 9 hectares — small enough to read in one session. For supplies, Leblanc is 80 km out. Then Normandin, 89 km, and Albanel, 95 km. More in the same country: Lac Gurat roughly 0.9 km, Lac Anou (1.3 km), Lac Ringuet roughly 1.5 km, Lac Batonnet (1.9 km) and Lac La Barre roughly 2.1 km. The nearest boundary is well away, so one set of rules covers the water.

• Where to Fish on Lac Pivin

  Depth is unknown to us, and the shoreline is the better guide. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. County-wide records name northern pike, Atlantic salmon and lake whitefish. Some of the species recorded here are protected or tightly regulated, so check what may be targeted before you fish. The near bank of Lac Pivin is often the one people ignore.

• Seasonal Patterns

  July is the warm end of the year here, averaging about 16°C, while January sits near -18°C. The ice season is long here and the open one short. After early May the shallows warm and the fish move up. Break-up near early May, freeze-up near mid November: that is the shape of an average year. June through September is the settled part of the year, with the shoulders busier for fish. Lac Pivin fishes to that pattern most years.

• Tackle & Baits

  The access position is unclear from public sources. Nothing is mapped in the way of a ramp or car park within a short radius. A wire trace and a big bright lure handle the pike; deep water asks for a heavier spoon. Take the rules with you rather than trusting memory. Where the way in crosses private ground, ask first. Should this one be busy, Lac Gurat is 0.9 km off. Confirm access to Lac Pivin locally before you travel.