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

• Overview

  Saguenay/Lac-Saint-Jean, Quebec, is where Lac Raymond sits. Elevation runs to 498 metres. This is a pocket water of some 7 hectares, and every part of it is reachable from the bank. Saint-Félicien is the closest town at 40 km. The big place round here is Saguenay, 140 km distant. Not far off: Lac Silver out at 1.1 km, Lac aux Canards a touch under 1.5 km, Lac Morin out at 2 km, Lac Victoria a touch under 2 km and Lac Ovila out at 2.4 km. There is no boundary nearby to worry about.

• Where to Fish on Lac Raymond

  We hold no survey for this water; read the slope of the shoreline instead. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. Records held for Saguenay/Lac-Saint-Jean cover northern pike, Atlantic salmon, lake whitefish and fallfish. At least one recorded species is protected in parts of its range; read the local rules before targeting anything. Read Lac Raymond for ten minutes before the first cast goes out.

• Seasonal Patterns

  On the long-term average, July reads 16°C and January reads -18°C. Everything is compressed into the middle of the year. The freeze runs deep into the year, with break-up near early May. The water is typically free of ice between early May and mid November. June through September is the settled part of the year, with the shoulders busier for fish. Time your trip to Lac Raymond by conditions rather than dates.

• Tackle & Baits

  We hold no note on access for this one. We find no slipway, car park or made path within a short radius, so treat access as rough. Pike mean a wire trace, no exceptions; big spoons and jerkbaits do the searching. Ask in the nearest town if you are unsure. Close seasons apply to some species and not others. Should this one be busy, Lac Silver is 1.1 km off. Confirm access to Lac Raymond locally before you travel.