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

• Overview

  Look for Lac Raoul in Saguenay/Lac-Saint-Jean, Quebec. Around the bank it is spruce and muskeg. Small at around 9 hectares: two anglers spread out cover most of it. Nearest town is Saint-Honoré, 70 km off. Labrecque lies 72 km off, Saint-Ambroise another 74 km. Not far off: 1.5 km out stands Lac Green, Lac Florence after 1.6 km, 2.2 km out stands Lac Jumeau Est, Lac Henri after 2.5 km and 2.8 km out stands Lac McDonald. The county line is nowhere near, so one local authority covers the water.

• Where to Fish on Lac Raoul

  No published figure covers depth, so learn it as you fish. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. Across Saguenay/Lac-Saint-Jean, recorded fish include northern pike, Atlantic salmon, lake whitefish and fallfish. Some of the species recorded here are protected or tightly regulated, so check what may be targeted before you fish. On Lac Raoul the quiet end is the one worth the extra effort.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The year swings from about -19°C in January to roughly 16°C in July. This far north the hard season runs and runs. The open season starts with the thaw, near enough early May. On the long-run averages the water opens up around early May and starts locking again about mid November. September and October fish steadily right up to the freeze. The season on Lac Raoul follows the weather closely.

• Tackle & Baits

  The access position is unclear from public sources. A made slipway is 400 m from here, which settles the boat question. Pike mean a wire trace, no exceptions; big spoons and jerkbaits do the searching. A phone call first saves an afternoon. Where parking is tight, arriving early solves most problems. Failing this one, try Lac Green, 1.5 km away. Treat access at Lac Raoul as something to verify.