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

• Overview

  Lac Trottier lies within the bounds of Saguenay/Lac-Saint-Jean, Quebec. It stands 374 metres above sea level. Surface area runs to about 8 hectares — small enough to read in one session. The bank runs about 1.8 km all the way round, so one visit can cover most of it. For a base, Roberval sits 25 km out. Saguenay sits 106 km out, and it is the nearest city worth the name. The nearest edge is a long way off, so local rules apply throughout.

• Where to Fish on Lac Trottier

  Depth is unknown to us, and the shoreline is the better guide. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. Public occurrence data for Saguenay/Lac-Saint-Jean names 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. Treat Lac Trottier as a water to read rather than to cover.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Climate records put July near 17°C and January near -18°C. Everything is compressed into the middle of the year. The open season starts with the thaw, near enough early May. Expect the water usable from around early May until roughly mid November. Fishing peaks soon after break-up and again before the cold returns. Lac Trottier fishes to that pattern most years.

• Tackle & Baits

  The access position is unclear from public sources. It formed naturally, so levels move with rainfall rather than with a gate. Nothing is listed nearby for parking or launching a boat. Pike mean a wire trace, no exceptions; big spoons and jerkbaits do the searching. Rules for this water may differ from the county norm. Access can change hands, so last year's answer may not hold. The nearest alternative is Lac Moreau, 1.1 km out. The position on Lac Trottier is worth confirming on the day.