Fishing at Lac Buff, Abitibi-Témiscamingue, Quebec

• Overview

  Lac Buff sits in Abitibi-Témiscamingue, out in Quebec. It stands 378 metres above sea level. At 8 hectares it is the sort of place you fish for an evening rather than a day. The nearest town is Macamic, 35 km away. Then Rouyn-Noranda, 37 km, and Amos, 45 km. Not far off: Lac des Iles within 0.6 km, Lac a l'Orignal some 1.7 km off, Lac Drapeau within 1.7 km, Lac Sault some 1.9 km off and Lac La Haie within 2.5 km. The nearest boundary is well away, so one set of rules covers the water.

• Where to Fish on Lac Buff

  Without a survey to go on, judge depth from how the bank falls away. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. Fish documented in Abitibi-Témiscamingue include northern pike, yellow perch and walleye. County records show the wider picture rather than this one place. Lac Buff gives up its fish to patience rather than distance.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Seasonal averages run from -18°C in January up to 17°C in July. Open water is the exception rather than the rule here. Break-up comes around early May, and the run that follows is short and strong. Break-up near early May, freeze-up near mid November: that is the shape of an average year. From the thaw to midsummer the fishing improves week by week. Anyone fishing Lac Buff regularly works to that calendar.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether the bank is open is not something our records settle. Access is unmapped, which usually means a farm track and a walk. For the pike, wire up and throw larger lures along the weed edges. Bank access can be seasonal on ground like this. Access can change hands, so last year's answer may not hold. Lac des Iles sits 0.6 km off and takes the overflow. The position on Lac Buff is worth confirming on the day.