The Nouvelle River has only recently been developed for salmon fishing in the Gaspé peninsula. In the early 90s , a group of Nouvelle residents got together to restore, manage and protect this magnificent river. By creating the Société de restauration et de gestion de la Nouvelle Inc. (Nouvelle River's Restoration and Management Corporation), these developing pioneers started a motivating but difficult project. After years of hard work, the Nouvelle River opened for salmon fishing in 1997.

But the Nouvelle River had been on the fishermen's list for a long time. In the last century, some wealthy Quebec families buying the fishing rights on the river to have exclusive access to certain river sectors. Many Americans, attracted by river's reknowned giant sea trout, also came and tackled this great species.

The Nouvelle River has always been in the hearts of the town's residents. In addition to having made a living out of floating logs on the river in the 1960s and 1970s, several local fishermen have captured impressive specimens. According to old timers, the largest sea trout ever caught on the Nouvelle River weighed about 11 pounds!

Even though the Nouvelle River attracted fishermen with prospects of giant, trophy-size sea trout, there have always been a few dozen salmon coming up the river every year. However, log driving operations, which started in the late 1960s, considerably harmed the species. The end of log driving, intensive stocking and river protection over the past however, at ran in the river each year even if there were log driving in the river. The end of log driving, intensive stocking and river protection over the past few years have revived this magnificent species that increasingly tends to come back up its natal river. In addition, new fishing regulations, increased control and awareness raising among fishermen and residents, have allowed sea trout population to increase.