FISHING IN QUEBEC – BEYOND EXPECTATIONS

Stretching more than 1,600,000 square kilometres (640,000 square miles) over northeastern North America, Quebec invites you to enjoy the breathtaking diversity of its wide-open spaces. Room to roam as far as the eye can see, rugged landscapes that change with each passing season. Rich in natural wonders, Quebec is truly spectacular, fulfilling your wildest dreams of intense adventure...all closer than you think!

Here, fish-filled rivers hurtle into waterfalls, gently lulled to sleep in sparkling lakes bearing countless different names. And bountiful game wanders vast forests, beckoning you to rekindle the bold spirit of the first “coureurs des bois”. Here breathtaking parks showcase treasure troves of spell-binding natural beauty. A multitude of hunting and fishing lodges and fabulous resorts dot the land, offering accommodations for every budget and taste, from rustic log cabins to luxury forest inns.

In this immense land awash in blue and brimming with walleye, pike, bass, trout, salmon and other salmonids, fish stories are never tall tales. Whether angling or fly-fishing, smiles broaden while a quick catch is promptly transformed, right on the shore, into a gourmet meal fit for a king. From exhilarating to mouthwatering in the blink of an eye!

With upwards of a million lakes and thousands of rivers, Quebec offers a sport-fishing experience proportionate to its immense landmass: endless and wild!

From north to south and east to west, fish populations are distinctive and relatively unique. In the south, walleye, northern pike, trout and bass dominate. As one heads east and north, it's the salmon and arctic char and more trout that thrive.

If big fish is your target, then place Quebec on your list of fishing locations. Walleye are large and so are the lake trout and northern pike can easily weigh 12 kg (25 lb). In some Quebec rivers, 30 to 40 pound Atlantics are common. There are over 100 Atlantic salmon rivers in Quebec, ranging from easily wadable streams to torrential rivers. You can match wits with land-locked salmon, a fresh-water fish. Although smaller than its ocean counterpart, it's just as spirited , and can be found in the Lac Saint-Jean areas and in many lakes and streams north of the St. Lawrence River.

Why fish in Quebec? Quite simply to experience fishing in vast wilderness areas where indigenous fish populations abound.

For an idea of the catches fishing enthusiasts can expect to bring home, the table below indicates the maximum weights biologists have encountered

Quebec's structure of fishing zones is unique. Similar to other provinces, many lakes and rivers on public lands have free access to fishing by licensed anglers. Other zones are classed as ZEC ZONES with special restrictions and the province has a network of provincial parks (Reserves) spanning 67,000 square kilometres.

From the Abitibi region to the North Shore, through the Gaspe Peninsula and into the Great Northern territories, you will find upwards of 400 quality outfitters. Outfitters fall into two categories: (1) Outfitters with exclusive rights, meaning, outfitters with exclusive access to certain hunting and or fishing territories, often located in remote areas of the province, (2) Outfitters holding licences without exclusive rights offer their services within the limits of public lands and /or their own private lands all over the Quebec territory.

Get ready to book your next fishing vacation in Quebec: it's beyond expectations!

QUEBEC MAPS AVAILABLE

Selective harvest, with a strong foundation of "Catch and Release", is the policy we advocate at FISHING MAPS "PLUS". Many anglers wish to eat some fish, and why not? They are nutritious and "umm", good tasting. If selective harvest is practiced, then the resource is renewable. The modern-day approach is to keep more numerous pan fish before less abundant larger predators, and keep smaller, more abundant fish of a species before larger, less abundant ones.