Sainte-Marguerite River

The Sainte-Marguerite runs 100 km from Lac Sainte-Marguerite in the Monts Valin, then along the Saguenay Fjord for 60 km to Baie Sainte-Marguerite. It has three branches, and the Nord-Est joins near the mouth. Salmon fishing here began with a private club in 1860. The river became a zec in 1980, and the Centre interuniversitaire de recherche sur le saumon atlantique moved to its banks in 1995.

The Association de la rivière Sainte-Marguerite runs about 100 pools in ten sectors, seven by draw and three public. Some pools are private. Route 172 follows the river for about 55 km through sectors 1 to 4, and most fishing is wading. The river is also good water for sea-run brook trout, with a fall season after the salmon close. Every salmon goes back in 2026, two a day at most. The gauge is on the Nord-Est branch, 1.7 km above where it joins the main river, so it reads the branch, not the whole river.