Lac de la Butte in Abitibi-Témiscamingue: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  In Quebec, Lac de la Butte belongs to Abitibi-Témiscamingue. Around the bank it is lake country bush. Surface area runs to about 5 hectares — small enough to read in one session. On size it sits at the modest end of our Abitibi-Témiscamingue list. Mattawa sits 55 km from the bank. Deep River lies 61 km off, Chalk River another 70 km. One jurisdiction covers this water end to end.

• Where to Fish on Lac de la Butte

  No published figure covers depth, so learn it as you fish. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. Survey and observation records for Abitibi-Témiscamingue include northern pike, yellow perch and walleye. The county figures include rivers and lakes alike. On Lac de la Butte the first feature you find is usually worth a session.

• Seasonal Patterns

  On the long-term average, July reads 18°C and January reads -14°C. Cold winters and warm summers give a wide working range. Break-up comes around late April, and the run that follows is short and strong. From about late April to around late November, expect open water on the long-run figures. The open run goes from the thaw to the freeze, and April through October covers most of it. The season on Lac de la Butte rarely departs from it.

• Tackle & Baits

  The paperwork position is blank for this one. Public data shows nothing built here, so treat the whole approach as informal. Pike mean a wire trace, no exceptions; big spoons and jerkbaits do the searching. Check whether a boat is allowed before you tow one. Rules for boats are stricter than rules for the bank in many places. The nearest alternative is Lac Cibardin, 2.4 km out. Check the current arrangement for Lac de la Butte.