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

• Overview

  Lac Surprise is a Saguenay/Lac-Saint-Jean water, in Quebec. The surroundings are taiga. At roughly 8 hectares, the whole thing is within casting reach of a single walk. Métabetchouan lies 37 km from the water. Beyond it, Chambord at 39 km and Roberval at 40 km. The nearest edge is a long way off, so local rules apply throughout.

• Where to Fish on Lac Surprise

  There is no published depth for this one, so start shallow and work out. Bays and points beat straight shoreline every time on water like this. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. 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 Surprise a short move beats a long cast.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Seasonal averages run from -17°C in January up to 17°C in July. Open water arrives late and leaves early, which concentrates the fishing. After early May the shallows warm and the fish move up. From about early May to around mid November, expect open water on the long-run figures. The weeks after the thaw and the ones before the freeze are the strongest. Expect Lac Surprise to follow that timing.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether the bank is open is not something our records settle. Nothing is listed nearby for parking or launching a boat. 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. Some ground is open by custom rather than by right, so tread carefully. Lac Garreau sits 1.2 km off and takes the overflow. Nothing on Lac Surprise should be assumed from this page alone.