Ouananiche fishing experts share their tips

How do you fish for ouananiche in Lac Saint-Jean? What are the best spots for it? Marc Archer, Executive Director of CLAP, shares valuable tips for a successful fishing trip.

How to fish for ouananiche

Lake whitefish can be caught from the shore or by boat on Lake Saint-Jean.

It can also be fly-fished in rivers, but this activity is subject to a quota, and you must enter a preseason lottery to gain access. For more information: : https://claplacsaintjean.com/ouananiche/

---

Wade fishing

The most commonly used technique is “float fishing.” This technique has long been proven effective here and is practiced by many residents living around the lake.

You will need:

• A silver Toronto Wobbler-style spoon
• A pre-tied size 4 or 6 single hook
• A red-and-white round float
• Earthworms

Editing and technical aspects:

Replace the spoon’s treble hook with a pre-tied single hook baited with a large earthworm. Attach the float to the main line about 3 feet above the spoon.

Cast your rig as far from the shore as possible and let it drift in place. If the wind or current drifts your rig back toward the shore, recast.

Are the fish active? Change your lure and technique!

If the fish are active on the surface—if you see them jumping out of the water or their backs breaking the surface—you need to get active too.

Replace your rig with a small silver spoon or a floating wobbler that mimics a minnow or a rainbow smelt. You can also use a streamer if you’re a fly-fishing enthusiast.

If necessary, clip a few small round weights (split shots) onto the line a few inches in front of the lure to make casting easier.

Cast directly into the school of lake trout and retrieve the lure quickly with sharp, jerky pulls.

The best spots for wading:

• Les épis de Saint-Gédéon
• The municipal pier at Métabetchouan
• The Lac St-Jean Motel near Desbiens(For motel guests only)
• The municipal pier at Chambord
• The mouth of the Ouiatchouane River in Val-Jalbert(only at the start of the season)
• The harbor at the Roberval Marina
• La Pointe Scott à Roberval
• The Chute à Michel section of the Ashuapmushuan River in Saint-Félicien until June 30 (quota-based fishing thereafter)
• The First Falls, Second Falls, and Fifth Falls on the Mistassini River in Dolbeau-Mistassini until June 14 (quota-based fishing thereafter until July 31)
• The Chute des Pères on the Mistassibi River in Dolbeau-Mistassini
• The Chute à la Savane on the Péribonka River in Sainte-Monique

---

Boat fishing

Boat fishing techniques vary depending on the time of summer.

Surface trolling near the shore

In May and June and in late summer, landlocked salmon can be caught by surface trolling near the shore using light tackle or a fly rod.

Recommended lures:

• Wobbling spoons
• Floating wobblers
• Streamer-style flies

The best fishing spots:

• Desbiens
• Chambord
• Val-Jalbert
• Roberval
• Mashteuiatsh
• Saint-Henri-de-Taillon
• Péribonka (Île Boulianne)
• Vauvert
• Alma Islands at the entrance to the Grande-Décharge (late summer only)

Deep-water offshore fishing

When the lake water is warmer in July and August, lake trout can be caught offshore in the mid-water column, ideally using a downrigger and a fish finder.

The trick to finding lake trout? Look for schools of smelt! Where there are smelt, there are sure to be lake trout!

The known deep spots during this period are:

• The Pointe-à-la-Savane Trench off the coast of Pointe-Taillon
• The Mashteuiatsh Trench extending from the Ashuapmushuan River
• The Desbiens Trench extending from the Métabetchouane River

Schools of smelt can also be found all over the lake. All you have to do is locate them with a fish finder and fish over them.

The best lures to use:

• Wobbling spoons
• Floating or sinking lures (if no downrigger)
• Tube flies and large streamers

Downrigger fishing technique:

Attach the main line to the weight and lower it to the depth of the smelt schools, which is 12 to 18 feet in Lake Saint-Jean. Attach a wobbler, a floating plug, or a tube fly preceded by a “flasher” to the end of the line.

You can add a second line to the main line—a “spool line”—which is about the length of the rod. The spool line is attached to the main line with a swivel and positions itself at half the depth of the sinker. Attach a thin silver or copper spoon to its end.

Fishing techniques without a downrigger:

• Light casting with a sinking plug
• Heavy line with a spoon or a floating plug
• Fly fishing with a heavy sinking line and a tube fly or a large streamer

---

Limits on taking and possession

On Lac Saint-Jean, the daily catch limit and possession limit are two lake trout per Quebec fishing license.

---

Do you have a fishing permit?

To fish in Lac Saint-Jean, you must have a Quebec sport fishing license and a “permit to fish in the Lac Saint-Jean Community Wildlife Area” (access permit). The fishing permit is available for purchase online at https://claplacsaintjean.com/autorisation-de-pecher/.

Have a great day fishing, stay safe, and wear a life jacket!