Fishing at Lac Beutin, Abitibi-Témiscamingue, Quebec

• Overview

  Lac Beutin lies in Abitibi-Témiscamingue, in Quebec. The setting is pine and birch on every side. Surface area runs to about 5 hectares — small enough to read in one session. It is a small entry by Abitibi-Témiscamingue standards. Start from Saint-Boniface, 109 km down the road. Val-d'Or lies 115 km off, Maniwaki another 121 km. This one is safely inside the county line.

• Where to Fish on Lac Beutin

  Depth is unmeasured here, so let the shoreline guide you. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. Survey and observation records for Abitibi-Témiscamingue include northern pike, yellow perch and walleye. Records at this level tell you what is in the area. The near bank of Lac Beutin is often the one people ignore.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Between January at about -17°C and July at about 17°C, the water has a wide range to work through. Hard water is a season in its own right here. Hard cover is dependable here; it goes around early May. Break-up near early May, freeze-up near late November: that is the shape of an average year. The strong weeks are the first after break-up and the last before the freeze. At Lac Beutin the season follows that pattern closely.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether you may fish here is not something records settle. Access is unmapped, which usually means a farm track and a walk. Pike mean a wire trace, no exceptions; big spoons and jerkbaits do the searching. A phone call first saves an afternoon. Some ground is open by custom rather than by right, so tread carefully. If the gate is shut, Lac Blason at 0.2 km is the nearest alternative. Nothing here settles the position at Lac Beutin for certain.