Lièvre WatershedCanoeing and Kayaking

In 1993, the practice of floating logs down the Lièvre River gave way to boating activities, which had formerly been extremely limited due to the danger of collision with the floating logs. The upstream portion of the river allows boaters to enjoy wilderness areas that are still virtually untouched. Némiscachingue Lake and the Mitchinamecus reservoir, two major tributaries of the Lièvre River, are highly popular with pleasure craft operators.

From Némiscachingue Lake to Iveteaux Lake, via Toulouse, Culotte, Adonis and Orthès lakes, close to 100 km of the river has been mapped for canoeing and kayaking. The Cent-Lacs, Lounan and Menjo outfitters are located along this section of the river, which also winds through the Normandie and Mazana ZECs (controlled harvesting zones).

The upper portion of the Lièvre River is very popular with canoeists and kayakers; in fact, the 2004 rally of the Québec Federation of Canoeists and Kayakers (FCKQ), held each year, took place entirely within the territory of the watershed, and the 225 participants paddled the Mazana, Pin Rouge and Mitchinamecus rivers in addition to the Lièvre. The FCKQ has also produced a map of the Mazana and Kiamika rivers especially for canoeists. Canoeing and kayaking is also possible in the southern portion of the watershed, but the presence of hydroelectric dams must be taken into account.

Sport fishing

Sport fishing is governed by the Québec Fishery Regulations. Its provisions vary depending on the area, and the sport fishing brochure also sets out exceptions to the Regulations for certain bodies of water. More than twenty fish species of interest to sport fishing enthusiasts populate the Lièvre River and its reservoirs.
The degradation of the water quality in some lakes has caused changes to certain habitats, which can no longer support fish populations that have strict biological requirements. Species that are highly prized by sport fishing enthusiasts, such as lake trout and brook trout, have been replaced in many areas by hardier species such as yellow perch, largemouth bass and panfish. 

Tourist Resorts

There are two major tourist resorts located within the watershed. The Centre de Villégiature du Lac d’Argile, in Notre-Dame-de-la-Salette, is situated in the south, while the Forêt Récréotouristique de la Montagne du Diable is situated in Ferme-Neuve.

Adapted from "Pour la qualité de l'eau du bassin versant de la Lièvre: PORTRAIT", published by the Comité du bassin versant de la rivière du Lièvre (COBALI), 2005.