Quebec

Godbout River

Quebec·Côte-Nord·49.41° N, 67.65° W

Steelhead & salmon

Run	Months	Peak	Now
Summer Atlantic salmon	Jun–Sep	Jul	From Jun

Run timing is a guide, and seasons, closures and limits change. Check the Gouvernement du Québec: salmon fishing rules and the 2026 season terms (news release, March 12, 2026). Seasons and managers from the Fédération québécoise pour le saumon atlantique. before you fish.

See the full conditions on the Godbout River

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Solunar · next 7 days

About Godbout River

The Godbout runs 112 km from Lac Amariton through boreal forest and rock, with seven big falls, to the St. Lawrence at the village of Godbout, 54 km east of Baie-Comeau. The water is clear and shallow over a dark bed, and in many places you can watch salmon leap. A forest road follows the river.

About 70 km became a zec in 1980, run today by the Comité de protection de la rivière Godbout. The FQSA counts over 50 pools in three sectors, two restricted and one public. The Cap-Nord canyon sector, just above Route 138, is by draw only with a guide. Every salmon goes back in 2026, two a day at most. Read the gauge above Route 138.

Species

Atlantic Salmon
Primary · Jun-Sep · Grilse 30-63 cm, salmon 63-100 cm+
Wild Atlantic salmon. Every salmon goes back in 2026, two a day at most. Fly only.
Brook Trout
Present · Jun-Sep · 15-30 cm
Brook trout share the river. Check the zone's trout rules and the manager's sector rules.

Species	Abundance	Best Season	Size
Atlantic Salmon	Primary	Jun-Sep	Grilse 30-63 cm, salmon 63-100 cm+
Brook Trout	Present	Jun-Sep	15-30 cm

Sections

2 reaches

Zec water above the canyon

WadeSalmon

The zec's water above the canyon, along the forest road, with the public sector and the second restricted sector. Wading only in the public sector.

Best for: Atlantic salmon you can watch leap

Cap-Nord canyon

Wade & FloatSalmon

Three kilometres of canyon from the Route 138 bridge, offered by draw only, with a guide required. Fishing hours are 1 to 5 pm or 5 to 9 pm, as the private club allows, from June 1 to about the end of July, depending on water.

Best for: Atlantic salmon in a guided canyon, by draw

At a glance

Ideal wading flow: 16–71 m³/s
Blow-out: >139 m³/s
Ideal water temp: 9–18°C

Best seasons

The season runs June 1 to September 15. Salmon move on a rise and fish best as the river drops back and clears. July is the heart of the run. In a hot, dry spell the river runs low and warm, so fish the cool hours.

Regulations

Season June 1 to September 15. Every salmon caught is released in 2026. The catch-and-release quota is two salmon a day. Fly only. Each sector needs a day access right from Comité de protection de la rivière Godbout, and restricted sectors go by draw.

Licence: A Quebec Atlantic salmon fishing licence, for residents or non-residents, plus a day access right for the sector you fish, bought from the river's manager. Restricted sectors are allocated in the manager's November 1 draw and in 48-hour draws in season. Public sectors are open to anyone with an access right.
Tags: No salmon may be kept here in 2026, so no tag is used. A kept salmon elsewhere is tagged at once with the licence's tag and registered within 48 hours, with a season limit of four.

Salmon season: June 1 to September 15 (FQSA river page; check the manager's dates for each sector).
Every salmon caught is released in 2026. The catch-and-release quota is two salmon a day.
In salmon rivers, fishing is generally fly only.
For other species in a salmon river: no fishing from an hour after sunset to an hour before sunrise, none from a bridge over the river or its estuary, and none within 23 m below a fishway or a falls built for fish to pass.
Every sector needs a day access right from the river's manager. Rules can differ by sector, so check the manager's sector rules before you fish.

Quebec rivers are run sector by sector by their manager, under the province's rules. The 2026 terms carry over the 2025 rules, and the ministry can change them in season if the runs are weak. Quebec's warm-water closures do not list this river in 2026.

Source: Gouvernement du Québec: salmon fishing rules and the 2026 season terms (news release, March 12, 2026). Seasons and managers from the Fédération québécoise pour le saumon atlantique.. Regulations change annually. Verify before fishing.

Getting there

Godbout, QC

From Route 138 at Godbout, east of Baie-Comeau. A forest road follows the zec water.

Camping: Lodging in Godbout and Baie-Comeau.

Comité de protection de la rivière Godbout runs the river and sells the day access rights: http://www.rivieregodbout.com. Restricted sectors are allocated in the November 1 draw and in 48-hour draws in season. Public sectors are open to anyone with an access right. Outfitters on the river sell their own packages.

Godbout River

Quebec·Côte-Nord·49.41° N, 67.65° W

Log an outing

Steelhead & salmon

Run	Months	Peak	Now
Summer Atlantic salmon	Jun–Sep	Jul	From Jun

Fishing: Good
Flow: 24m³/s; Steady; Godbout River above Route 138
Water temp: —

Flow

24m³/s

Steady

Godbout River above Route 138

Water temp

—

Normal range

—

Weather

1°C

Cloudy

See the full conditions on the Godbout River

Flow and temperature charts for every station, the weather, and the days ahead. Free, with an email.

A free account also gets you

5-day Fish Index forecastSee how each of the next 5 days rates on every river and lake, from the flow or wind, water temperature, weather and moon forecasts.
A dashboard for your watersSave your rivers and lakes and compare them on one board, with the last week and the days ahead.
A logbook that fills in the conditionsLog outings and trips with photos, even with no signal in the app. Troutline adds the flow, water temperature and weather for each day.
Your angler profileSee other anglers' public outings, and share yours.

Already have an account?

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Solunar · next 7 days

About Godbout River

Species

Atlantic Salmon
Primary · Jun-Sep · Grilse 30-63 cm, salmon 63-100 cm+
Wild Atlantic salmon. Every salmon goes back in 2026, two a day at most. Fly only.
Brook Trout
Present · Jun-Sep · 15-30 cm
Brook trout share the river. Check the zone's trout rules and the manager's sector rules.

Species	Abundance	Best Season	Size
Atlantic Salmon	Primary	Jun-Sep	Grilse 30-63 cm, salmon 63-100 cm+
Brook Trout	Present	Jun-Sep	15-30 cm

Sections

2 reaches

Zec water above the canyon

WadeSalmon

The zec's water above the canyon, along the forest road, with the public sector and the second restricted sector. Wading only in the public sector.

Best for: Atlantic salmon you can watch leap

Cap-Nord canyon

Wade & FloatSalmon

Best for: Atlantic salmon in a guided canyon, by draw

At a glance

Ideal wading flow: 16–71 m³/s
Blow-out: >139 m³/s
Ideal water temp: 9–18°C

Best seasons

Regulations

Licence: A Quebec Atlantic salmon fishing licence, for residents or non-residents, plus a day access right for the sector you fish, bought from the river's manager. Restricted sectors are allocated in the manager's November 1 draw and in 48-hour draws in season. Public sectors are open to anyone with an access right.
Tags: No salmon may be kept here in 2026, so no tag is used. A kept salmon elsewhere is tagged at once with the licence's tag and registered within 48 hours, with a season limit of four.

Salmon season: June 1 to September 15 (FQSA river page; check the manager's dates for each sector).
Every salmon caught is released in 2026. The catch-and-release quota is two salmon a day.
In salmon rivers, fishing is generally fly only.
For other species in a salmon river: no fishing from an hour after sunset to an hour before sunrise, none from a bridge over the river or its estuary, and none within 23 m below a fishway or a falls built for fish to pass.
Every sector needs a day access right from the river's manager. Rules can differ by sector, so check the manager's sector rules before you fish.

Getting there

Godbout, QC

From Route 138 at Godbout, east of Baie-Comeau. A forest road follows the zec water.

Camping: Lodging in Godbout and Baie-Comeau.

Godbout River

Steelhead & salmon

See the full conditions on the Godbout River

About Godbout River

Species

Sections

Zec water above the canyon

Cap-Nord canyon

Fishing reports

Read the fishing reports for the Godbout River

More in Quebec

Côte-Nord

Moisie River

Sainte-Marguerite River

Other regions

Bonaventure River

Cascapédia River

Matane River

Matapédia River

Petite Cascapédia River

Restigouche River

Godbout River

Steelhead & salmon

See the full conditions on the Godbout River

About Godbout River

Species

Sections

Zec water above the canyon

Cap-Nord canyon

Fishing reports

Read the fishing reports for the Godbout River

More in Quebec

Côte-Nord

Moisie River

Sainte-Marguerite River

Other regions

Bonaventure River

Cascapédia River

Matane River

Matapédia River

Petite Cascapédia River

Restigouche River

Fishing conditions

Fishing conditions