Petit-Saguenay River
The 77-kilometre Petit-Saguenay River rises at an altitude of 625 metres from a series of lakes in Réserve faunique des Laurentides. It flows eastward to the Sagard territory, then northward through the village of Petit-Saguenay, before finally emptying into the Saguenay Fjord. There, it forms a small cove partially enclosed by a jetty. In all, 13 of the 77 kilometers are open to salmon fishing, including one on the Rivière Portage, a tributary of the Petit-Saguenay.
In the 19th century, lumberman William Price, one of the fathers of the Saguenay, held the rights to fish for salmon in the Petit-Saguenay River. Subsequently, these rights passed into the hands of several other wealthy English-speaking Canadians and Americans, before being granted to clubs and associations. The territory is now established as a controlled harvesting zone, and the Association de la rivière Petit-Saguenay has been managing sport fishing since 1966.
The riverbed is made up of pebbles, gravel and sand, all of which color the water light brown. The current is brisk, with an average flow of 16 cubic meters per second. For salmon fishing, the river has 24 pools divided into three quota-access sectors and one non-quota-access sector (21 pools). The pools are generally easy to spot and less than 30 meters long. You'll have access to a range of accommodation options on a century-old site featuring heritage cottages, a yurt and a campground.
