Lac Balou, Quebec: Fishing Spots and Seasons

• Overview

  Lac Balou lies in Abitibi-Témiscamingue, in Quebec. Height above sea level is 384 metres. Around 16 hectares of surface means several distinct areas to work. The edge runs 1.6 km or so, easy to work in an afternoon. Senneterre at 63 km is the nearest place to stop. Then Val-d'Or, 83 km, and Barraute, 87 km. Within easy reach: Lac Urdos sits 0.6 km out, Lac Obton (0.9 km), Lac Woel sits 1 km out, Lac Alios (1.1 km) and Lac Nermier sits 1.5 km out. It lies deep inside the county rather than near an edge.

• Where to Fish on Lac Balou

  There is no published depth for this one, so start shallow and work out. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. Records held for Abitibi-Témiscamingue cover northern pike, yellow perch and walleye. Those are county-wide records, so not every one of them will be in this water. The shape of Lac Balou decides where the fish sit.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Typical July readings run about 17°C; by January the average is down near -18°C. This far north the hard season runs and runs. Count the season from break-up, usually early May. Ice clears near early May and comes back about mid November in a typical year. The shoulder weeks of the open season are the productive ones. Expect Lac Balou to follow that timing.

• Tackle & Baits

  No public source sets out the position on this bank. No dam controls it, and the level follows the season. There is a campsite 1.1 km from the water. A wire trace and a big bright lure handle the pike; deep water asks for a heavier spoon. Look for a notice board at the entrance. Where the way in crosses private ground, ask first. Should this one be busy, Lac Urdos is 0.6 km off. The position on Lac Balou is worth confirming on the day.