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

• Overview

  The Saguenay/Lac-Saint-Jean end of Quebec holds Petit lac Rond. The water sits 560 metres up. It measures about 20 hectares, which is a comfortable size for bank fishing. Around 1.9 km of margin, front to back. Compared with other Quebec water on our list, it sits high. Supplies mean a trip to Saint-Honoré, 59 km off. Further out sit Saint-Ambroise (63 km) and Labrecque (64 km). The nearest edge is a long way off, so local rules apply throughout.

• Where to Fish on Petit lac Rond

  No depth figure has reached our records, which makes a plummet useful. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. Records held for Saguenay/Lac-Saint-Jean cover northern pike, Atlantic salmon, lake whitefish and fallfish. At least one recorded species is protected in parts of its range; read the local rules before targeting anything. The shape of Petit lac Rond decides where the fish sit.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Between January at about -19°C and July at about 16°C, the water has a wide range to work through. The season is measured in weeks rather than months. The lid usually goes in early May, which opens the strongest weeks of the year. Break-up sits around early May on average, with the water closing again about mid November. The strongest runs come at either end of the open season. On Petit lac Rond the same rules apply, with local timing.

• Tackle & Baits

  The rules here are undocumented as far as public sources go. It formed naturally, so levels move with rainfall rather than with a gate. We find no slipway, car park or made path within a short radius, so treat access as rough. 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. Check whether bait restrictions apply before you buy any. Failing this one, try Lac du Trot, 0.8 km away. Nothing here settles the position at Petit lac Rond for certain.