As I write the last River Report for the season it’s hard to believe how time flies. It seems like yesterday we were putting our boats in the river for the beginning of a new season.
We had another incredible season with lots of salmon! The rivers held up beautifully and the water levels were in our favor.
As we look towards fall and winter it's nice to remember all the good times, we have each season. Seeing all our repeated guests and welcoming our new guest each year makes what we do very special. The relationships we’ve formed over the years are special to all of us here at the lodges.
From all the staff here, we thank you for being part of our lives and sharing another GREAT! Season with us. We all look forward to seeing you again when our bright silver salmon return.
It's hard to believe that August has already come and gone and we 're into September already. August provided us with some fine fishing, we experienced a mixed bag of conditions but overall, our fishing held up very well.
We are now in the first week of September and most of our pools are full of salmon, both older ones and fresh fall run fish. We had an excellent week at our lodges with plenty of salmon landed and many others lost.
The Bonaventure River is flowing at around 29(m³/s).
The (Petite) Cascapedia is flowing at around 19(m³/s).
The Grand Cascapedia is flowing at around 28(m³/s).
2024 is filling up very quickly, we still have a couple of openings here and there. If you would like to fish at Camp Bonaventure, Salmon Lodge or The Club next season, now is the time to contact us.
It was yet another wonderful week to be in camp and on the river! The salmon were excited and active, the food was mouth-watering, the rivers were in great condition, and we were all in superb company. Our guests are leaving here with great stories, beautiful memories, full bellies, and a couple more salmon releases to add to their records.
That's what we have photos of happy clients each week. We can’t guarantee salmon every day, but we can guarantee that you’ll be casting over plenty of salmon and having a great experience both on the river and back at the lodge.
The Bonaventure River is flowing at around 43(m³/s).
The (Petite) Cascapedia is flowing at around 29(m³/s).
The Grand Cascapedia is flowing at around 56(m³/s).
We had an unusual week at the lodges with the rain we received. We had over 75 milometers of rain fall in the span of 3 days. We had our staff, emptying, relocating and making sure the anchors were set up right on all our canoes to ensure the safety of them for when the river levels rise.
First of all, The lodges main rule is safety. Our guides will monitor the river level, and make sure that it is safe to go out for our guest, and for them. We still had an incredible week with lots of salmon!
The Bonaventure River reached 130(m³/s)
The Grand Cascapedia River reached around 100(m³/s)
The Petite Cascapedia River Reach in the low 70s(m³/s)
We should have a great rest of the season with the water levels as of today. They have decreased and the clarity of the water is back to normal. We will be able to access the pools on canoe which gives us a big advantage.
Fishing continues to be excellent, and we couldn’t ask for better river conditions. Perhaps we were getting a little spoiled with higher-than-normal water levels since the beginning of the season. The weather's been perfect for fishing.
We’re still travelling in our boats like we do during the early season. Most of our pools are holding good numbers of salmon. All three rivers gifted us with some great salmon this week. Whether they were successfully landed or just came up to the fly to tease us, the thrill and anticipation was more than enough.
The Bonaventure River is flowing at around 19(m³/s).
The (Petite) Cascapedia is flowing at around 16(m³/s).
The Grand Cascapedia is flowing at around 25(m³/s).
What a story behind this Picture!
The flies used this week were all over the board. Sizes, colours and types all varied tremendously between the three rivers and changed throughout the week. The only bit of advice I have for now is your guide knows best!
It’s hard to believe we are already halfway through the season. Time sure passes fast when you are having a good time. We’ve had another fantastic week at all three locations!
July has been treating us well! We’ve had very accommodating weather this past week for our amazing guests. Some days were sunny, others overcast weather with a few showers. Overall, it was once again the perfect recipe for healthy water conditions and happy guests.
The Bonaventure River is flowing at around 23(m³/s).
The (Petite) Cascapedia is flowing at around 17(m³/s).
The Grand Cascapedia is flowing at around 23(m³/s).
The secret preference of the flies this week is whatever your guide tells you to use. They absolutely know best and would not steer you wrong, however the older favorites are always on the menu.
We had another great week at all the lodges with happy anglers. Despite last week’s heat wave where temperatures climbed into the 90's, we managed to hook and land several fine salmon. The weather's been hot and very humid across the Gaspe Peninsula.
Higher water also means that salmon can hold just about anywhere and not necessarily in the pools. The guides are finding fish in runs and smaller pockets throughout the river.
The Bonaventure River is flowing at around 32(m³/s).
The (Petite) Cascapedia is flowing at around 27(m³/s).
The Grand Cascapedia is flowing at around 55(m³/s).
The flies used this week were all over the board. Sizes, colors, and types all varied tremendously between the three rivers and changed throughout the week. The only bit of advice I have for now is your guide knows best!
What more can I say, great water conditions, great fishing, and very happy guests. This past week has been a perfect week to spend at a salmon camp. Our salmon are plentiful, and our anglers are all happy.
Last week rainfall and frequent thunderstorms gave the rivers a considerable rise in water, just what we needed to keep conditions perfect.
The Bonaventure River is flowing at 29(m³/s).
The Grand Cascapedia is flowing at 38(m³/s).
The Petite Cascapedia is flowing at 21(m³/s).
With higher water levels we are using bigger flies. We have the Stone Ghost, Blue Charm, Undertaker and Green Butt. Wets worked very well last week but dry’s stole the show. Again, it’s been Green, Blue, and Dark brown.
Great fishing continues! We just had another outstanding week of salmon fishing, and our lodges are full of happy anglers. We were getting a little spoiled with all the fantastic fishing and the weather since opening day.
Water conditions are holding up very well, with the Bonaventure, Petite Cascapedia and Grand Cascapedia in great condition, especially for this time of the season.
The weatherman shows a bit a rain early next week, we should see a bump in the water levels on the three rivers.
Our salmon have been tasting all kinds of flies this week. Sizes 6, 8 and 10 were the most popular depending on the day and the river levels. The most popular wet flies have been the Stone Ghost & the Picasse. As for dry flies, light brown, light blue, and green patterns have been successful.
It’s hard to believe the month of June has already come and gone. Time sure does fly by when you’re having a good time at the camps!
Last week’s high tides brought a nice rune of fresh salmon to all our rivers and fishing has been getting better with each passing day.
We have been spoiled with wonderful fishing conditions and weather this week. A great mix of sun, warmth, clouds, rain, and cool evenings.
Waters Levels:
The Bonaventure River is flowing at 19 (m³/s).
The Grand Cascapedia is flowing at 39 (m³/s).
The Petite Cascapedia is flowing at 18 (m³/s).
The Salmon’s fly of choice this week was a fair mix between wet and dry flies. Anything with a bit of green, black, and yellow to it has been catching their eye.
This was a truly wonderful week to be in Camp! The weather conditions were almost all in our favor, the food was delicious as always, the company was amazing, and the salmon were present, playful, and taking our flies!
The rivers are continuing to produce very well, and the salmon are active.
The Bonaventure River is flowing at around 23(m³/s).
The (Petite) Cascapedia is flowing at around 18(m³/s).
The Grand Cascapedia is flowing at around 22(m³/s).
The three rivers continue to flow beautifully, and our guides have been working hard to make each day a memorable one!
Our guide`s choice of flies for this week are the Negle, the Stone Ghost, the Watchout and of course the Out to lunch.
Another a great week to be at camp, the water conditions are excellent! The beginning of the week treated us to a few cooler days but as the week progressed the temperature continued to rise. With the little bit of rain we had during the week, our guests enjoyed their time both on and off the rivers.
The Camps had the pleasure of welcoming back many wonderful guests this past week as well as some new faces!
Here is a little bit of information about the three rivers.
The Bonaventure in sitting between 30 (m³/s) and 40 (m³/s).
The Grand Cascapedia has dropped a bit but has been stable around 34 (m³/s).
The (Petite) Cascapedia has officially opened for the season. The water level has been stable at around 24 (m³/s). We had quite a bit of action in the last week on the (Petite).
The guide’s choice of flies was the same as the week before. The salmon seems to love the bright colors! The famous Out to Lunch, the Paul Caron and the Yellow Picasse. Of course, as we know Salmon are unpredictable, but these flies seem to get the best of them!
Welcome back to our weekly river and fishing reports. We are excited to start another season with all of you. The rivers are beautiful and the Salmon even more. Our Guides have been waiting patiently to access the waters. Here’s to an amazing season of fun, laughter, and memories.
The weather this week was a little colder than normal and we had a few days of rain but the passion for salmon fishing is not ratter it rains or shines, it’s about the stories, the salmon, the rivers, and the beautiful nature that surrounds us.
The first Salmon Landed on the Bonaventure was from our very own Dan Greenberg. You can see the excitement in the picture. What a great way to start the season.
Our first Guests arrived at Salmon Lodge this year for opening season. Upon the opening of all the 3 lodges, in the first week we had over 30 salmon landed and certainly lost some. The fish cannot let you win all the time!
Here`s a little information about the 3 rivers.
The Grand Cascapedia River and the Bonaventure are lower than previous years but are fantastic. The water levels are excellent ranging from 35 (m³/s) to 60 (m³/s). The rivers are stunning. We are waiting for the Little Cascapedia River also known as the (Petite) to open on June 15th.
After speaking with multiples guides, we were able to narrow down the most used flies during the week that worked the best for them. We have the Out to Lunch, the Paul Caron and the Yellow Picasse. These specific flies worked wonders this past week.
We look forward to keeping everybody up to date with these river reports.
Hello and Goodbye July! Wow this month has simply flown by!
We’ve had another fantastic week at all three locations! Even though I would unfortunately have to say that this has been our most challenging fishing week… The great company, mouth-watering food, reunions with guests that we have not had the pleasure to see in two years, introductions to new guests and endless old and new fishing stories made up for it in every way!
Water levels on all three rivers are getting low but completely within the average range for this time of the season. Last Sunday we had a good rain fall throughout the night which helped all three rivers with a little bump in the water. It didn’t last long but it was rain non the less and helped refresh the rivers.
The Grand Cascapedia had the most effect from the rain fall on Sunday. Flowing close to 20 cubic meters per second, it reached it’s peak above 30 cubic meters and then slowly came back down to end the week flowing at 23 cubic meters per second. This was a much-needed bump in the water but unfortunately resulted in a couple quiet days on the Grand which is odd.
The Bonaventure River had a slight increase thanks to the rain. She began and ended her week flowing at 13 cubic meters per second and peaked on Tuesday around 16. Not the most drastic bump in water but this was a tremendous help for the Bonnie. For whatever wonderful reason there, it got the salmon re-energized and excited!
The Petite Cascapedia, like the Bonnie, had a slight increase in water levels thanks to the rain. Just enough to notice and refresh but not enough to make a long-lasting difference. The Petite began her week flowing at 10.5 cubic meters per second and reached a height of 15.6 with the rainfall. By the end of the week, she was back to 11 cubic meters per second but fishing well.
The secret preference of the flies this week is whatever your guide tells you to use ;) They absolutely know best and would not steer you wrong!
We’re past the halfway mark of July and our season continues to be outstanding. We are having a fantastic summer with great conditions and fabulous fishing. When everyone’s having a great time on and off the river, you don’t have to look too far to find some smiling faces!
Water levels on the Bonaventure are exactly where they should be for this time of the season… running between 15 and 13 cubic meters per second. The weather this week feels like summer. A little warmer than a few of us like and but the weatherman did come through with some rain this week. Unfortunately, it didn’t land in the right places for help the Bonaventure water levels. Although this is typical for mid to end of July and I’m sure our sweater weather is just around the corner. Fishing on the Bony has been great since the beginning of June and continues to spoil us!
Fishing on the Grand Cascapedia remains excellent! Everyday spent on any of our three rivers is a true treat! Water conditions and temperatures are standard for this time of the season, but the fishing is fantastic. The Grand was the one river most affected by the rain fall this past week slightly increasing from 16 cubic meters to 25 cubic meters per second, which is slightly above normal for mid-July.
The Petite Cascapedia is also doing very well, the water levels are slightly low at about 12.5 to 10 cubic meters per second but that is the norm for this time of the season. Unfortunately, that rain received mid-week did not hit the sweet spot to help with the Petite levels. Perhaps next time!
The flies of choice this past week have been a complete mix of small wets in the am and the on to dry flies once the sun hits the water. Bombers in Green, Brown and Blue are always trusted favorites in sizes 4 and 6. As for the wet flies, the Undertaker, John Olin and Stone Ghost were responsible for most of the fish landed this week in sizes 6 and 8.
This past week was one for the books! The fishing may not have always been on our side, but we all had a wonderful week welcoming new friends and familiar faces back to our three camps. Some guests picked up exactly where they left off two years ago and others, we had the honour of teaching the skilled sport of fly fishing.
There seems to have been a miscommunication this week between mother nature and the weather man. One promised us a couple days of rain whereas the other delivered beautiful sunshine. Either way, a day on the river is a great day and we can’t really complain as we’ve had a fantastic summer and we were due for some warmer/humid summer days.
The Bonaventure river is as beautiful as ever and still producing some great salmon this week. The grilse have also arrived in abundance. The Bonaventure River began flowing just below 20 cubic meters per second this week and ended at 15.75.
The Grand Cascapedia was flowing at a rate of approximately 18 cubic meters per second at the beginning of the week and ended around 17.47. We received a heavy rain fall up in the parc de la Gaspésie on Monday that helped the Grand rise nicely. As the week progressed of course the river went down as it was a little on the hot and humid side so The Grand Cascapedia ended her week just around 17.5 cubic meters per second.
The Petite Cascapedia was in the range of 16 to 13 cubic meters per second this past week. Our three rivers are reaching lower levels for the first time this season. We were blessed with a lot of rain in the month of June which brought us beautiful water levels until mid-July. What more could you possibly ask for? Now’s the time that we fall into the average low water conditions, pray for rain, and use our smaller flies and wading skills.
These water conditions, although on the lower end are still producing some outstanding fishing! The most productive wet flies this week have been the Stone Ghost, Blue Charm and Green Machine! As for the Bombers, the normal Green, Blue and Dark Brown are working very well, especially if there’s a little sparkle added to their tail end. The sizes that are working the best at the moment are No. 8 and 10.
It was yet another wonderful week to be in camp and on the river! The salmon were excited and active, the food was mouth-watering, the rivers were in great condition, and we were all in superb company. Our guests are leaving here with great stories, beautiful memories, full bellies, and a couple more salmon releases to add to their records.
The weather this past week was a mix of everything. Our nights and mornings remain fresh however, once the afternoon rolls around, some were sunny, some were casted over and others produced a disruptive wind and a couple drops of rain depending on your location. Overall, it was another good week in the books.
The Bonaventure River is as clear as ever and continues to deliver! The cooler evenings are maintaining our water temperatures in the 50-degree range, which the salmon are loving. The Bonaventure River was flowing anywhere from 31 to 20 cubic meters per second this past week which is still a little higher than normal for this time of the season, but we are happy to have it!
The Grand Cascapedia is in great condition! Leaning a little on the lower water side for its vast size compared to our other two rivers. However, there is rain in the forecast and if it falls in the right place, the Grand will rise wonderfully. The Grand began its week flowing at 30.24 cubic meters per second and ended around 18 cubic meters per second.
The Petite Cascapedia is currently flowing at 17 cubic meters per second. She began her week around the 26 cubic meters per second range. The Petite continues to treat our anglers very well. We’ve won and lost some battles throughout the week on the Petite and our guides are seeing plenty of beautiful salmon in their holding pools.
The most productive wet flies this week have been the Stone Ghost, Green Machine, Blue Charm and Green Highlander in sizes 8, 10 and 12. The Bombers in colours Blue, Green and Brown in sizes 4 and 6 are always a hit as well!
Goodbye June and Hello July! What a wonderful week to be on the river and in camp! We’ve had the pleasure of welcoming back old friends, making new friends, sharing many fishing stories, landed and released some beautiful salmon and enjoyed some mouth-watering meals. What more could you ask for? Mother Nature has been very accommodating with her weather this past week as well. Some days were sunny, others casted over and even a couple days of rain. The perfect recipe for healthy rivers and happy guests.
The Bonaventure River is as beautiful as ever and again produced some great salmon this week. It began its week flowing in the 58.47 cubic meters per second range and ended just around 34 cubic meters per second. These levels on all three rivers are absolutely fantastic for this time in the season!
The Grand Cascapedia started its week flowing at approximately 44.3 cubic meters per second and ended at 33.77. These levels are considered average for the Grand as we welcome the month of July. Again, this week, the Grand Cascapedia has spoiled us with some beautiful days and healthy salmon!
The Petite Cascapedia is currently flowing at levels that are a little higher than normal for this time of the season. She began her week at 49.4 cubic meters per second and ended at 28. This is wonderful for coming into the month of July and every day on the Petite is an absolute privilege.
These water conditions call for a great mix of flies. The most productive wet flies this week have been the Stone Ghost, Jon Olin and Green Machine! As for the dry flies on those sunny warmer days, the normal Green, Blue and Dark Brown are working very well, especially if there’s a little sparkle added to their tail.
As June closely comes to an end, the only comments I hear from guides, staff and guests is: “What a fantastic June it has been!” In all seriousness, being able to welcome you all back and having a somewhat normal season was more than enough for us… but then to have the generosity of mother nature who showered us with rain and kept our rivers flowing at outstanding canoe friendly levels throughout this entire month and then to top it all off with a healthy run of energetic silver salmon is just overwhelming.
We are so grateful, blessed, and thankful.
The kitchens were on point this week and I think I gained 20 lbs just smelling the creations being made! A big shout out to our extremely talented chefs at all three locations this season and our Executive Chef Diane!
Following the first day of summer came the heat and sun. Up until this week, our weather was very cool, rainy, and cloudy… however this past week brought a good mix of our familiar cooler days, which we appreciate, with a few more hot and humid ones. This fair weather and cool evenings allowed the volume of our rivers to stay healthy throughout the week however, they have at this point decreased significantly.
The stunning Petite Cascapedia began her week flowing at 105.2 cubic meters per second and ended at 51.67. These are now fantastic levels for the Petite and boy was she kind to us this week! We have a couple guests who managed to land their personal best! Very proud moments and beautiful memories we are proud and honoured to be part of.
The ever-clear Bonaventure River is now showing her true colors. With the influx of rain and higher water levels, the Bonaventure was a little tainted, but her clarity is now perfection and something again to admire. The Bonaventure River began her week flowing at 120.5 cubic meters per second and ended at 62. These are higher water conditions for June, but we are not complaining! The fishing has been fantastic, and the Bonaventure River has been good to us!
The beautiful Grand Cascapedia River, just like the other two rivers, began her week flowing at 114 cubic meters per second and ended just around 46 cubic meters. The Grand has been very generous to a few of our guests fishing out of Salmon Lodge and Camp Bonaventure this past week! High or low water, salmon landed or a story of the one that got away… the Grand delivers every time!
This week’s fly preferences have been the Stone Ghost, Joh Olin, Green Machine, Blue Charm and Watch-Out in a variety of sizes depending on the time of week. On a few of our warmer days, we started getting into some dry fly action with Blue and Green Bombers with a bit of flash... But more of that to come in the next couple weeks!
Well Ladies and Gentlemen, it has been a fantastic week in camp!
We have been spoiled with wonderful fishing conditions and weather this week… a great mix of sun, warmth, clouds, rain, and cool evenings. Our rivers are on the rise and at very healthy levels for this time of the season. We spent most of the week fishing out of our classic canoes and exploring some new high-water pools.
Our three locations have had the pleasure of welcoming home some great friends this past week at Camp Bonaventure, Salmon Lodge and The Club on the Bonaventure. To re-connect, laugh, and share stories is so good for the soul and we are blessed to be experiencing these fantastic moments.
The ever clear, but sometimes coloured over the past few days, Bonaventure River began her week flowing at approximately 42 cubic meters per second and continued to rise as Sunday approached. It rained in all the right places for the Bonaventure River to end her week flowing at 108 cubic meters per second. This is considered high water conditions for this time of our season. We are however, truly enjoying all the time in the canoe and the salmon treated us well!
The Grand Cascapedia fluctuated quite a bit of the past week. Starting at 75.8 cubic meters per second on Monday and ending at 100 cubic meters per second come Sunday. Her levels were all over the map throughout the week and her stunning tea colour was stained at times. However, the fishing was fantastic! The Grand has a lot to offer under high water conditions and our guests spend some wonderful days out there this past week.
The Petite Cascapedia began her season on June 15th! It is always a privilege to fish that river and explore her beauty. The Petite began her week flowing at 40.52 cubic meters per second and ended nearing 100 cubic meters per second. Again, like the other two rivers, these levels are considered high for mid-end of June, but we prefer high conditions as opposed to lower ones this early in the season.
The salmon’s fly preferences this week were again some larger wet flies such as the Stone Ghost, Green Machine, Blue Charm, The Watch-Out, Black Bear Green Butt… Mostly in size no. 2 and 4 depending on the river and depending on the time of the week.
