Laurentian Highlands in the context of Physiographic regions of the world

The Saguenay River (French: Rivière Saguenay, [ʁivjɛʁ saɡnɛ]) is a major river of Quebec, Canada. Draining Lac Saint-Jean in the Laurentian Highlands, it leaves Alma and runs east. The city of Saguenay is on the river, which drains into the Saint Lawrence River. Tadoussac, which was founded as a French colonial trading post in 1600, is located on the northeast bank at this site.

The river has a very high flow-rate and is bordered by steep cliffs associated with the Saguenay Graben. Tide waters flow in its fjord upriver as far as Chicoutimi (about 100 kilometres). Many beluga whales breed in the cold waters at its mouth, which makes Tadoussac a popular site for whale watching and sea kayaking, and Greenland sharks also frequent the depths of the river. The area of the confluence of the Saguenay and Saint Lawrence is protected by the Saguenay–St. Lawrence Marine Park, one of Canada's national parks.

Lac Saint-Jean (French: [lak sɛ̃ ʒɑ̃], Quebec French pronunciation: [lak sẽ ʒã]) is a large, relatively shallow lake in south-central Quebec, Canada, in the Laurentian Highlands. It is situated 206 km (128 mi) north of the Saint Lawrence River, into which it drains via the Saguenay River. It covers an area of 1,053 km (407 sq mi), and is 63.1 m (207 ft) at its deepest point. Its name in the Innu language is Piekuakamu. Lac Saint-Jean has been also been mapped and known as Lake St. John.