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

• Overview

  Petit lac Jourdain falls in Saguenay/Lac-Saint-Jean, part of Quebec. The ground around here is northern bush. At some 3.15 sq km it is far too large to cover on foot in a day. The outline measures near 21 km, so local knowledge counts. It ranks high for size among our Saguenay/Lac-Saint-Jean listings. Dolbeau-Mistassini lies 96 km from the water. After that come Pont Rouge at 96 km and Albanel at 97 km. No border sits close enough to matter.

• Where to Fish on Petit lac Jourdain

  Without a survey to go on, judge depth from how the bank falls away. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. Reported across Saguenay/Lac-Saint-Jean: 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. On Petit lac Jourdain the obvious spot is not always the productive one.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Climate normals give 16°C for July and -20°C for January. The year here is short and sharp: a long lid, then a burst of open water. The freeze runs deep into the year, with break-up near early May. Open water usually runs from early May until about mid November. Right after break-up, and again as the nights sharpen, is when to go. Time your trip to Petit lac Jourdain by conditions rather than dates.

• Tackle & Baits

  The paperwork position is blank for this one. No dam controls it, and the level follows the season. There is no mapped parking or launch nearby, which keeps numbers down. For the pike, wire up and throw larger lures along the weed edges. Parking space is the usual limit rather than the bank itself. Rules for boats are stricter than rules for the bank in many places. Lac de la Tremie at 2.3 km is the sensible second choice. Check the position on Petit lac Jourdain before loading the car.