Lac Quilen in Saguenay/Lac-Saint-Jean: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Saguenay/Lac-Saint-Jean in Quebec is where Lac Quilen sits. It lies 540 metres above sea level. At 5 hectares it is the sort of place you fish for an evening rather than a day. By elevation it is in the upper part of our Quebec listings. Normandin sits 44 km from the bank. Saguenay is the closest city, 156 km away. The nearest boundary is a fair way off.

• Where to Fish on Lac Quilen

  Depth went unrecorded, which puts the reading back on you. This is a lake, so the margins and the first drop matter most. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. Fish documented in 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. Lac Quilen fishes better once you know its edges.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The seasonal spread runs -18°C to 16°C. Open water is the exception rather than the rule here. The freeze runs deep into the year, with break-up near early May. Averages suggest open water from about early May through to roughly mid November. Just after the ice goes and just before it returns, the fishing lifts. Lac Quilen runs to its own calendar within the local pattern.

• Tackle & Baits

  No access rule appears in what we hold. The map shows no ramp or car park nearby, so this is a walk-in water. A wire trace and a big bright lure handle the pike; deep water asks for a heavier spoon. Some banks are open only from a marked point. Keep proof of licence with you rather than in the car. Failing this one, try Lac Louvil, 0.6 km away. Check the position on Lac Quilen before loading the car.