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

• Overview

  In Quebec, Petit lac Claire belongs to Saguenay/Lac-Saint-Jean. The setting is boreal forest on every side. At 2 hectares it is the sort of place you fish for an evening rather than a day. It is a small entry by Saguenay/Lac-Saint-Jean standards. Supplies mean a trip to Saint-Félicien, 15 km off. The big place round here is Saguenay, 113 km distant. The nearest boundary is a fair way off.

• Where to Fish on Petit lac Claire

  Depth is unmeasured here, so let the shoreline guide you. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. Public occurrence data for Saguenay/Lac-Saint-Jean names 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. Fish Petit lac Claire to its features, not to its size.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Between January at about -18°C and July at about 17°C, the water has a wide range to work through. Cold dominates the calendar on water this far north. The freeze runs deep into the year, with break-up near early May. The water is typically free of ice between early May and mid November. The strongest runs come at either end of the open season. Time your trip to Petit lac Claire by conditions rather than dates.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether you may fish here is not something records settle. A pier 600 m from here gives a platform over deeper water. For the pike, wire up and throw larger lures along the weed edges. Ask in the nearest town if you are unsure. Fishing rules and camping rules are set separately here. If the gate is shut, Lac Equerre at 0.2 km is the nearest alternative. Where Petit lac Claire is concerned, a local answer beats a written one.