Glossary

Fishing, Kayaking and Water Body Terms

This glossary defines the main terms used in Fluvaro and in the world of fishing, kayaking, and Quebec water bodies. Definitions are practical and written for outdoor enthusiasts.

Flow rate

Volume of water passing through a cross-section of a river per unit of time. Expressed in cubic metres per second (m³/s). A high flow rate means a swollen, fast-moving river; a low flow rate indicates a slow, shallow river. Flow rate is one of the main indicators for evaluating fishing conditions and water safety.

Water level

Height of the water surface measured at a hydrometric station, expressed in centimetres or metres. Different from flow rate: two rivers can have the same water level but very different flow rates depending on their width and cross-sectional profile. Water level is useful for planning bank access and boat launch availability.

High tide (high water)

Maximum sea level (or tidal waterway level) reached during a tidal cycle. High water lasts a few minutes before the sea begins to fall. The time and height of high water vary daily according to lunar and solar cycles.

Low tide (low water)

Minimum sea level reached during a tidal cycle. Low water exposes intertidal flats, shoals, and intertidal zones, making fishing and wildlife observation areas accessible that are unreachable at high tide. It is often the best time for wade fishing.

Daily access

Fishing permit purchased for a specific day in a managed fishing zone in Quebec. The number of available permits is limited (contingented) to protect the resource. Fluvaro displays the number of permits sold for each zone — yesterday, today, and tomorrow — to help you gauge availability.

Hydrological vigilance

Alert system of the Ministère de la Sécurité publique du Québec (MSP) that flags dangerous water levels on rivers. Thresholds are: monitoring (conditions to watch), alert (possible flooding risk), and mobilization (imminent or ongoing flooding). Fluvaro displays these thresholds for the affected stations.

Contingented draw (tirage contingenté)

Random selection mechanism used to allocate fishing rights in highly sought-after zones (salmon rivers such as the Bonaventure, Cascapédia, and Matapédia). Anglers submit their application before a deadline and rights are allocated by lottery. Fluvaro displays draw deadlines and results when available.

Lunar phase

Appearance of the moon as seen from Earth, depending on the relative angle between Earth, the moon, and the sun. A full cycle takes approximately 29.5 days (synodic month). The four main phases are: new moon (invisible), first quarter (half-moon waxing), full moon (fully illuminated) and last quarter (half-moon waning). Lunar phases influence tides and, according to many anglers, fish activity.

Golden hour

Period of natural light that occurs just after sunrise (morning golden hour) and just before sunset (evening golden hour). The light is then warm, soft, and low-angled, creating orange and pink hues. Highly sought-after for nature photography. For fishing, these periods often correspond to increased fish activity.

Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar)

Iconic migratory fish of Quebec's salmon rivers. It is born in fresh water, migrates to the Atlantic Ocean (smoltification), then returns to its native river to reproduce. Atlantic salmon fishing is regulated and contingented on most rivers. The Bonaventure, Cascapédia, Matapédia, and Matane are among the most renowned rivers in Quebec.

Brook trout (Salvelinus fontinalis)

Fish native to Quebec's cold waters, commonly called "speckled trout" or "brook trout." Very popular with sport fishers, it inhabits streams, lakes and cold, well-oxygenated rivers. Sea-run brook trout is a migratory form that frequents estuaries and coastal areas.

Estuary

Transition zone between a freshwater river and the sea, where fresh water and salt water mix. Estuaries are subject to tides and are zones of high biological productivity, important for marine fauna and migratory species (salmon, sea-run trout, striped bass). The St. Lawrence estuary is the largest in the world.

Shoal

Shallow area of a body of water (river, lake, sea). At low tide, shoals are often exposed or very shallowly covered. They are prime areas for wade fishing and coastal wildlife observation. Navigation is possible only at high tide for some watercraft.

Hydrometric station

Measurement point installed on a waterway or body of water to continuously record water level and flow. Canada's network totals 2,700+ active stations, operated by CEHQ for Quebec and Environment and Climate Change Canada (Water Survey of Canada — MSC) for other provinces and territories. Data is public, accessible under Creative Commons BY 4.0 (CEHQ) or the Open Government Licence — Canada (MSC).

CEHQ — Centre d'expertise hydrique du Québec

Quebec government agency responsible for water monitoring and management. The CEHQ operates Quebec's hydrometric station network, providing real-time river flow and water level data, 72-hour forecasts, and historical data. Data is public, under Creative Commons BY 4.0 licence. Official site: cehq.gouv.qc.ca.

MSC — Meteorological Service of Canada (Environment and Climate Change Canada)

Service of Environment and Climate Change Canada publishing open hydrometric data for the federal station network across Canada — about 2,400 stations spanning all 13 provinces and territories. Recent values are tagged "Provisional" by the source: not QA-validated but used in real time by federal services. Data under the Open Government Licence — Canada. Official site: wateroffice.ec.gc.ca.

Drainage area (basin)

Surface of land (in km²) that drains toward the measurement point of a hydrometric station. The larger the basin, the slower the water body reacts to rainfall: a large basin (1,000+ km²) dampens rain over several days, while a small basin (under 100 km²) can surge in hours. Drainage area is shown on every station's detail sheet in Fluvaro.

Year-to-date (historical reference)

Chart that overlays the current-year flow on a climatological min/median/max envelope computed from decades of daily measurements (up to 50 years depending on the station). The window rolls around today's date (8 months back, 4 months ahead) to immediately show whether the water body is within its seasonal norm, flooding, or running low.

Striped bass (Morone saxatilis)

Marine fish that frequents coastal areas, estuaries and river mouths. After a long absence, striped bass has been reintroduced into the St. Lawrence and now inhabits the lower river, Baie des Chaleurs, and Gaspésie. Sport fishing for striped bass is increasingly popular in Quebec.

Sea kayaking

Paddling activity practiced on coastal waters, fjords, estuaries, and large lakes. Sea kayaking requires a good understanding of tides and currents. In areas like the Saguenay or Mingan islands, tidal variations and currents can be significant and must be considered for safety.

Interactive map

Map view of the Water Bodies tab, showing every covered hydrometric station in Quebec. Markers cluster when you zoom out. Tapping a marker opens a bubble with the water body name, the municipality, and a link to the full station details. An embedded mini-map is also shown in each station's detail sheet, expandable to full-screen.

GPS position

Your device's location obtained via geolocation (Wi-Fi, cellular, or GPS). Displayed in blue on the interactive map, with a halo representing accuracy. The permission prompt appears when the map opens, is refusable, and the position stays on your device — it is never sent to Fluvaro's servers.

Personalized list

Selection of water bodies you follow in the Water Bodies tab. Available with Fluvaro Pro (up to 30 water bodies), it syncs across your devices and lets you reorder cards by drag-and-drop. Without a subscription, the app shows the 5 most-followed water bodies with full data and the rest of the catalogue in preview mode.