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DIY week, salmon fishing the Gaspe Peninsula at your own rhythm
Updated: Sep 4
There is something different about September in the Gaspé.
The mornings get cooler. The mountains begin to change colour. The rivers start to feel like fall, and Atlantic salmon that have spent the summer settling into their lies become increasingly territorial as the season winds toward its close.
Meanwhile, out on Chaleur Bay, striped bass are still very much part of the equation.
It is one of our favourite times of year to be here.
Our regular program at Gaspé Coastal is intentionally full service: guides, river access, lodging, meals and a fishing program that we build and adjust for each guest throughout their stay.
But we also know there are experienced anglers who don't necessarily need—or want—a guide standing beside them every day.
They want access.
They want a comfortable place to come home to.
They want good food, cold beer and some local knowledge when they need it.
And then they want to go fishing.
For the last week of September, we're opening the Nadeau House to a small number of anglers through a new semi-DIY fishing program. Think of it less like staying at a traditional fishing lodge and more like having your own salmon camp in the middle of some pretty incredible fishing country.
Your Camp. Your Fishing Program.
The Nadeau House sits directly on the Grand Cascapédia River in Cascapédia-Saint-Jules, within easy reach of the Grand Cascapédia, Petite Cascapédia and Bonaventure river systems—and only a short drive from the striped bass fishery of Chaleur Bay.
During your trip, we'll take care of the infrastructure that can make a DIY trip to Québec salmon rivers complicated.
Your stay includes:
Accommodations at the Nadeau House
Fishing days
Three meals per day and snacks
Non-alcoholic beverages
House wine or beer with dinner
Québec fishing licence management
Salmon draw applications, fees and administration
Canoes and required safety equipment when river conditions allow
Coolers, ice and water bottles for your fishing days
Local support throughout the week
And yes—boats are welcome.
If you have a river canoe or a boat suited to Chaleur Bay, bring it. If your fishing buddy has one, invite them too.
River shuttles can also be arranged for anglers floating independently.
Salmon river access rights are purchased separately, giving anglers the flexibility to choose how much—or how little—they would like to spend on particular rivers and sectors.
We'll manage the logistics and help you understand your options. You decide where you want to fish.
A More Independent Rhythm
The hospitality will still feel like Gaspé Coastal, but we've deliberately simplified a few elements to make this program possible at a considerably lower price point.
Breakfast will be an elevated continental spread with breakfast sandwiches, burritos, pastries, fruit and plenty of grab-and-go options.
Lunches, snacks and drinks will be stocked each morning so you can build your own cooler before heading out. No waiting around for a predetermined departure time. If you want to be standing in a pool at first light, that's between you and your alarm clock.
And after fishing, the porch, fireplace and bar aren’t going anywhere. Dinner will still be the moment everyone comes back together around the table, with an emphasis on generous, comforting food, local ingredients and the kind of relaxed dining room atmosphere that makes you want to linger long after the plates are cleared. The quality, care and sense of occasion around dinner will remain very much at the heart of the Gaspé Coastal experience.
House wine and beer are included with dinner. The rest of the bar will operate on a cash basis, and BYOB is more than welcome.
In other words: we're trimming the things independent anglers may not need, without losing the parts of camp life that make a fishing trip feel like a fishing trip.
Fish on Your Own—or Add a Guide
DIY doesn't mean you're completely on your own.
Some anglers may be perfectly comfortable fishing public salmon water, navigating familiar stretches of river or bringing their own boat to explore the coast.
Others may want a guide for the first day to learn a river, tackle a particular sector, or spend a day chasing striped bass.
Guided days can be added at any point during the week, based on availability:
Full day — Atlantic salmon or striped bass: 850$ CAD/$625 USD, taxes and fees included.
6-hour striped bass trip: $485 USD, taxes and fees included
Gratuities are additional.
Cast & Blast
For guests looking to mix things up, late September also offers the opportunity to add a little upland hunting to the week. A morning on the river followed by an afternoon walking the woods for grouse makes for a pretty classic Gaspé-style cast-and-blast day.
DIY grouse hunting is possible during your stay, and our team will be happy to help you navigate the local rules, regulations and general logistics. Guests will need to bring their own shotgun and purchase the appropriate Québec hunting licence.
Well-behaved hunting dogs are also welcome, pending a quick discussion with our team beforehand to make sure the setup works for everyone at camp.
Built for Independent Anglers
This program isn't intended to replace what we normally do at Gaspé Coastal. But to celebrate the end of the 2026 season, we wanted to find a way to make a week at the Nadeau House accessible to anglers who are comfortable being more independent but still wanted to experience the beauty of the Gaspe!
.
We'll take care of camp.
You take care of going fishing.
Interested in joining us? Rates & Dates are right here!
21-27th of September
$2,750 CAD / $2000 USD per angler 6 nights / 5 fishing days *
27th Sept - Oct 1st
$1,825 CAD / $1325 USD per angler 4 nights / 3 fishing days *
Mix and match your dates based on your need, pending availability
pricing includes taxes and fees, flat no surprise rate
What’s Included
Lodging at the Nadeau House
Three meals per day and snacks
Non-alcoholic beverages
House wine/beer with dinner
Fishing license management
Salmon draw fees and administration
Canoe use and safety equipment, when skill level and river conditions allow
Coolers, ice and water bottles for fishing days
Local support throughout your stay
What’s Not Included
Salmon water access rights and fishing licenses
Guided fishing
House staff gratuities
River shuttle fees
Liquor and specialty wines from the bar
Transportation to and from the lodge
Local transportation
Guests are welcome to bring their own alcohol and their own boats.
We'd love to close out the season with you at the Nadeau House! For availability, salmon access options and additional details, contact us directly: lodge@gaspecoastal.com
*Possibility to fish a full day on arrival and departure, but lodge check-in will be at 4pm and check out at 10am. Salmon season closes on September 30th, but stripers and small game remain a possbility on October 1st.
Why September?
Late season has always attracted a certain kind of salmon angler.
The fish have been in the river for weeks or months. Colours deepen. Temperatures begin to drop. Rain can change a river overnight, and a salmon that ignored everything in your box yesterday may behave very differently tomorrow.
It rewards patience, observation and time on the water.
And that's exactly why we think it lends itself so well to this type of program.
There is also another fishery just down the road.
Our striped bass program has become one of the defining parts of Gaspé Coastal. Chaleur Bay offers everything from sight fishing shallow flats to chasing large moving schools of bass, giving anglers an entirely different option when tides, wind—or simply curiosity—pull them toward the salt.
One camp. Several rivers. The bay. And five days to figure out what you want to do with them. Hope to see you soon!
Sarah, Andrew & the team
