Fishing Petit lac au Francais in Saguenay/Lac-Saint-Jean, Quebec

• Overview

  Saguenay/Lac-Saint-Jean in Quebec is where Petit lac au Francais sits. It sits in northern bush country. It measures about 11 hectares, which is a comfortable size for bank fishing. The bank runs about 2.1 km all the way round, so one visit can cover most of it. The closest town, Métabetchouan, is 40 km distant. The nearest city of size is Saguenay, 95 km away. Two sets of local rules meet not far from this water.

• Where to Fish on Petit lac au Francais

  No chart reached our records; the first cast is your sounding. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. Records held for Saguenay/Lac-Saint-Jean cover northern pike, Atlantic salmon, lake whitefish and fallfish. Protected fish appear in the records for this area, so treat the list as information, not an invitation. Petit lac au Francais responds to conditions more than to tactics.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The warm month here averages 17°C; the cold one sits at -17°C. This is a two-season water: locked, then wide open. After early May the shallows warm and the fish move up. Open water usually runs from early May until about mid November. The first weeks of open water and the last are the ones to plan for. Petit lac au Francais runs to that rhythm year in and year out.

• Tackle & Baits

  We have no record of the rules that apply on this bank. No dam controls it, and the level follows the season. Formal access is not mapped, so the last stretch is likely on foot. For the pike, wire up and throw larger lures along the weed edges. Rules differ from one water to the next round here. Where parking is tight, arriving early solves most problems. Failing this one, try Lac Bedard, 2.2 km away. Confirm before you fish Petit lac au Francais.