Fishing Lac Solitaire in Saguenay/Lac-Saint-Jean, Quebec

• Overview

  Lac Solitaire lies in Saguenay/Lac-Saint-Jean, in Quebec. The bank gives way to spruce and muskeg. It measures about 49 hectares, which is a comfortable size for bank fishing. Around 4.3 km of margin, front to back. It ranks high for size among our Saguenay/Lac-Saint-Jean listings. Nearest place of any size is Saint-Fulgence, 33 km away. For a city, Saguenay is 45 km off. There is no boundary nearby to worry about.

• Where to Fish on Lac Solitaire

  Nothing in our records gives a depth for this one. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. Saguenay/Lac-Saint-Jean records list northern pike, Atlantic salmon, lake whitefish and fallfish among the fish reported. Some of the species recorded here are protected or tightly regulated, so check what may be targeted before you fish. At Lac Solitaire the first feature you find is worth twenty minutes.

• Seasonal Patterns

  On the long-term average, July reads 15°C and January reads -18°C. The freeze holds for the better part of the year. Ice fishing carries the winter, and the water opens about mid May. Break-up near mid May, freeze-up near early November: that is the shape of an average year. The strongest runs come at either end of the open season. On Lac Solitaire that shapes the whole year.

• Tackle & Baits

  The access position is unclear from public sources. No dam controls it, and the level follows the season. Access points are not mapped for this water, which suits people who like quiet. A wire trace and a big bright lure handle the pike; deep water asks for a heavier spoon. Rules differ from one water to the next round here. Access can change hands, so last year's answer may not hold. Failing this one, try Lac a l'Epaule, 1.2 km away. For Lac Solitaire in particular, ask before you travel.