Fishing at Lac des Pyrales, Abitibi-Témiscamingue, Quebec

• Overview

  Abitibi-Témiscamingue in Quebec is where Lac des Pyrales sits. The water sits 375 metres up. It covers about 2 hectares, so this is small water you can walk round in under an hour. On size it sits at the modest end of our Abitibi-Témiscamingue list. The nearest town is Senneterre, 97 km away. Val-d'Or lies 102 km off, Barraute another 117 km. No boundary runs near, so the local rules hold throughout.

• Where to Fish on Lac des Pyrales

  No figure exists for depth, so let the water show you. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. Records held for Abitibi-Témiscamingue cover northern pike, yellow perch, walleye, white sucker and brown bullhead. What holds for the county may not hold for this water. Fish Lac des Pyrales to its features, not to its size.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Typical July readings run about 17°C; by January the average is down near -17°C. Winter owns most of the year at this latitude. Expect a solid lid for months and a thaw around early May. The season between ice runs from about early May to mid November. Late spring and early autumn carry the year between them. It holds true on Lac des Pyrales more years than not.

• Tackle & Baits

  The paperwork position is blank for this one. There is no mapped parking or launch close by, which usually means walking in. Pike mean a wire trace, no exceptions; big spoons and jerkbaits do the searching. Check locally before you travel, because a wasted drive is a long one. Some ground is open by custom rather than by right, so tread carefully. If the gate is shut, Lac Dury at 1.4 km is the nearest alternative. Signs at Lac des Pyrales carry more weight than any list.