Rivière-aux-Rochers
The Rivière-aux-Rochers is located on the north shore of the St. Lawrence River, 62 kilometers west of the city of Sept-Îles and 167 kilometers east of the city of Baie-Comeau. The controlled-access area is highly accessible and developed, and flows completely through the Réserve faunique de Sept-Îles-Port-Cartier and the municipality of Port-Cartier before emptying into the St. Lawrence.
The Rivière-aux-Rochers hasn't always been a salmon-friendly river, with only the first eight kilometers frequented. In 1921, the construction of a dam confined the species to the first kilometer, and from 1922 to 1963, the river was used for log driving. As a result, sport fishing for salmon was banned in 1971. Subsequent efforts to restore the resource included the creation of a capture trap to transport fish further upstream, and fish stocking programs, which allowed fishing to reopen in 1982.
The Association de protection de la Rivière-aux-Rochers manages sport fishing on the Rivière-aux-Rochers, whose waters, ranging from 14 to 19 degrees, are somewhat brownish. The riverbed is rocky, and the average flow is high, at 100 cubic meters per second. There are five fishing sectors: one with open access, one with restricted access and three with unrestricted access, for a total of 56 pools. Fishing is wading and by boat.
Of note: a salmon interpretation site offering a variety of activities, including a visit to the interpretation center and the salmon catching system in full run, observation of the waterfall and sport fishermen in action.
