While fishing is culturally important in Québec (Canada), public knowledge about the management and conservation of freshwater and migratory fish in the St. Lawrence River is generally poor. This article aims to present the key players, the legislative framework, and the management practices as applicable to fish species in the freshwater and brackish portion of the St. Lawrence in Québec. Human pressure throughout the southern part of the province continues to increase and this has important impacts on the habitats of the St. Lawrence, and the wildlife using them. This reality must be addressed using new global approaches, such as protecting multi-species habitats, rather than focusing on more traditional single-species management and protection plans. New approaches should also involve stakeholders from the agricultural, industrial and municipal sectors, among others. In the future, the main challenges will be to achieve consensus between stakeholders for the fixing of common targets for restoration and development; to maintain cutting-edge expertise; and to continue supporting the management of fisheries on a rigorous scientific basis. In the context of climate change, where invasive exotic species and a range of anthropogenic alterations add increased pressure on habitats, it will be important to implement a proactive management approach, allowing rapid action to be taken as soon the status of a species indicates that it is needed. The precarious status of some species, such as the yellow perch in the Lake Saint-Pierre area, is another indicator of the profound deterioration and the loss of key ecological functions of the St. Lawrence ecosystem, and the challenges that will have to be met in the future. The reintroduction of the northernmost population of striped bass and the successful reestablishment of lake sturgeon stocks highlight the potential for meeting these challenges, and restoring the St. Lawrence River and its species. These examples show that the future can be positive if the appropriate management actions are implemented when required.