Fishing at Petit lac Castor, Saguenay/Lac-Saint-Jean, Quebec

• Overview

  Petit lac Castor falls in Saguenay/Lac-Saint-Jean, part of Quebec. The bank gives way to spruce and muskeg. Small at around 8 hectares: two anglers spread out cover most of it. It sits higher than most water we list in Quebec. Some 96 km away sits Saint-Honoré, the nearest settlement. The big place round here is Saguenay, 108 km distant. It sits well inside the county, so one set of rules covers it.

• Where to Fish on Petit lac Castor

  No figure exists for depth, so let the water show you. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. Fish documented in Saguenay/Lac-Saint-Jean include 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. At Petit lac Castor the first feature you find is worth twenty minutes.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Between January at about -19°C and July at about 16°C, the water has a wide range to work through. Long winters and short summers set the pattern. The lid arrives early and lasts until roughly mid May. On average, mid May opens the water and mid November closes it again. The weeks after the thaw and the ones before the freeze are the strongest. Plan around that when you fish Petit lac Castor.

• Tackle & Baits

  The rules here are undocumented as far as public sources go. No built facilities appear in mapping around this water. A wire trace and a big bright lure handle the pike; deep water asks for a heavier spoon. Gates get locked out of season on water like this. Keep proof of licence with you rather than in the car. The nearest alternative is Lac Castor, 0.7 km out. What applies at Petit lac Castor may have changed since it was mapped.