Lac de la Butte in Côte-Nord: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Lac de la Butte is listed under Côte-Nord, Quebec. The water sits 440 metres up. It runs to roughly 10 hectares — big enough to hold fish away from the bank, small enough to learn. A shoreline of some 2.5 km keeps the choices simple. The nearest place of any size is Forestville, 81 km away. For a city, Saguenay is 137 km off. There is no boundary nearby to worry about.

• Where to Fish on Lac de la Butte

  Depth is unknown to us, and the shoreline is the better guide. 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. Public occurrence data for Côte-Nord names logperch. Records at this level tell you what is in the area. At Lac de la Butte the first feature you find is worth twenty minutes.

• Seasonal Patterns

  In an average year July sits at 16°C and January at -18°C. Open water arrives late and leaves early, which concentrates the fishing. Expect a solid lid for months and a thaw around early May. Break-up near early May, freeze-up near mid November: that is the shape of an average year. September and October fish steadily right up to the freeze. Lac de la Butte fishes to that pattern most years.

• Tackle & Baits

  The rules here are undocumented as far as public sources go. No dam controls it, and the level follows the season. No made access appears within a short radius, so plan to park on a verge and walk. Perch take small lures and worms fished near the bottom close to structure. Season dates differ by species, so read the table. Access can change hands, so last year's answer may not hold. The nearest alternative is Lac Fred, 1.2 km out. Check the position at Lac de la Butte before loading the car.