Lac à l'Épaule is a natural freshwater lake nestled within Jacques-Cartier National Park (Parc national de la Jacques-Cartier) in the Laurentian Mountains of Quebec's Capitale-Nationale region. Situated entirely within the unorganized territory of Lac-Jacques-Cartier, in the La Côte-de-Beaupré Regional County Municipality, the lake sits at an elevation of 651 metres (2,136 feet) above sea level — a high-country setting that defines its cold, clear character. The lake measures approximately 2.9 kilometres in length and 0.8 kilometres at its widest point. The Rivière à l'Épaule flows through the lake from north to south, and the lake also receives inflow from the discharge of Lac à Noël. Route 175, the highway linking Quebec City and Saguenay, passes within just 0.25 kilometres of the lake's eastern shore, making access surprisingly convenient for such a remote-feeling wilderness destination. A secondary road serves the western portion of the lake for forestry and recreational tourism. Sport fishing has been a tradition here since at least 1907, when accommodation facilities were first established to serve anglers — a legacy that continues today with the Lac à l'Épaule lodge and the historic Camp Devlin cabins.