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

• Overview

  Quebec holds Lac Tortue, in Saguenay/Lac-Saint-Jean. The bank is 434 metres above sea level. At roughly 3 hectares, the whole thing is within casting reach of a single walk. Most waters listed here for Saguenay/Lac-Saint-Jean are larger. Roberval is the closest place, 39 km off. Saint-Prime is 39 km and Saint-Félicien 41 km. It sits well inside its county, with no border complications.

• Where to Fish on Lac Tortue

  Depth here is unknown, so count the lead down before committing. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. Across Saguenay/Lac-Saint-Jean, recorded fish include northern pike, Atlantic salmon and lake whitefish. Some of the species recorded here are protected or tightly regulated, so check what may be targeted before you fish. On Lac Tortue the first feature you find is usually worth a session.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The warm month here averages 16°C; the cold one sits at -17°C. Open water arrives late and leaves early, which concentrates the fishing. The open season starts with the thaw, near enough early May. Open water usually runs from early May until about mid November. The open run goes from the thaw to the freeze, and April through October covers most of it. That shapes the year on Lac Tortue.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether you may fish here is not something records settle. Nothing is listed nearby for parking or launching a boat. For the pike, wire up and throw larger lures along the weed edges. Rules differ from one water to the next round here. Access can change hands, so last year's answer may not hold. The nearest alternative is Lac Blouin, 0.7 km out. Treat access at Lac Tortue as something to verify.