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

• Overview

  Saguenay/Lac-Saint-Jean in Quebec is where Lac Savane sits. It sits in taiga country. About 10 hectares of surface, which puts the far bank inside easy sight. A shoreline of some 1.8 km keeps the choices simple. Métabetchouan sits 44 km from here and is the nearest stop. After that come Chambord at 48 km and Desbiens at 51 km. There is no boundary nearby to worry about.

• Where to Fish on Lac Savane

  No figure exists for depth, so let the water show you. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. County-wide records name northern pike, Atlantic salmon and lake whitefish. Several of these carry legal protection or closed seasons; the rulebook comes before the rod. On Lac Savane the obvious spot is not always the productive one.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Climate records put July near 17°C and January near -17°C. The season is measured in weeks rather than months. The open season starts with the thaw, near enough early May. Climate averages put the opening at about early May and the closing near mid November. The first weeks of open water and the last are the ones to plan for. Keep it in mind when planning a trip to Lac Savane.

• Tackle & Baits

  There is no clear statement anywhere on who can fish it. This is a natural basin, not a dammed 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. A phone call first saves an afternoon. Rules for boats are stricter than rules for the bank in many places. Failing this one, try Lac des Aulnes, 1.1 km away. Treat access at Lac Savane as something to verify.