Ice Fishing for Groundfish on the Saguenay River

From January 21 to March 4, 2011

Winter fishing for groundfish on the Saguenay River is regulated by Fisheries and Oceans Canada whose mandate is to protect and conserve marine resources. It is your responsibility to abide by the regulations in force.

• Regulations
• Offences and poaching
• Ice safety
• Status of fish populations
• Contact us

Ice fishing in shallow water on the Saguenay or on other lakes and rivers in Québec is regulated by the Ministère des Ressources naturelles et de la Faune du Québec.

Fisheries and Oceans Canada strictly enforces the Fisheries Act and is ever vigilant in its efforts to prevent poaching of marine resources.

Regulations

Ice fishing for groundfish is a winter recreational fishery that is practiced without a licence. You must, however, comply with the regulations in force regarding not only the number of fish caught and the permitted species but also the authorized fishing techniques.

• Quota: Each person may catch and keep 5 fish per day, all species combined. Atlantic halibut, Greenland sharks, northern wolffish, Atlantic wolffish, spotted wolffish, molluscs and crustaceans must immediately be returned to the water.  

• The following fishing gear is authorized for groundfish ice fishing: baited hand-lines, fishing rods, fishing reels and jiggers. Traps are prohibited.

• There is no limit on the number of lines and hooks a single angler may use, but fishing gear may not be left unattended for more than 72 hours after it has been set up.

• Anglers must not have in their possession any fish that have been cleaned and prepared to the extent that it is hard to identify the fish by species or to determine how many fish there are. DFO suggests that anglers leave the fillet whole with the skin on.

• Selling, bartering or offering for sale any groundfish caught while ice fishing is prohibited.

• Regulations prohibit wasting any groundfish suitable for human consumption.

For more information: 1-855-812-3255

Offences and Poaching

People guilty of offences may be fined up to $100,000 under the Fisheries Act. Anglers must abide by the regulations in force.

Fisheries and Oceans Canada strictly enforces the Fisheries Act and is ever vigilant in its efforts to prevent poaching of marine resources. You are invited to report poaching by calling 1‑800‑463‑9057. Your call is confidential.  

Poaching Alert

Ice Safety

For safety reasons, Fisheries and Oceans Canada may delay the opening of the ice fishing season or close it early depending on ice conditions.

During the winter season, the Canadian Coast Guard provides an ice breaking service and escorts commercial vessels on the Saguenay River between Île Saint-Louis and Port-Alfred, including through the Grande Anse area.

When an icebreaker goes by, the movement of water and shifting ice can be dangerous. The Coast Guard invites you to adopt safe practices and recommends that you leave the ice when you see an icebreaker in the vicinity.

A Canadian Coast Guard icebreaker can be identified by its red hull bearing a diagonal white band and its white smoke stack emblazoned with a red maple leaf.

Spring icebreaking manoeuvres will begin on the Saguenay River on or about March 12, 2012.

Status of Fish Populations

Department biologists conducte gillnet research surveys in April to estimate abundance trends for the three main species of fish caught in the Saguenay during the winter fishing season: Atlantic cod, redfish and Greenland halibut (also known as turbot).

Since 1995, the Department has also coordinated a sampling program conducted in collaboration with a number of partners to find out the volume of catches recorded during the winter fishing season.

Using these data, researchers prepare a portrait of abundance trends. The most recent science advisory report produced by the Department indicates that the status of marine fish populations in the Saguenay is of concern.

To preserve groundfish stocks in the Saguenay, in particular redfish stocks which have fallen considerably over the last 10 years, Fisheries and Oceans Canada has no choice but to reduce the fishing effort. For this reason, the 2011 winter fishing season has been shortened to 44 days.

The Saguenay Fjord Winter Recreational Groundfish Fishery, 2008-2010
Science Advisory Report – Canadian Science Advisory Secretariat

Contact Us

For more information about ice fishing on the Saguenay river:
Fisheries and Oceans Canada
1-855-812-3255