Butterfield Lake in Parry Sound District: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  This water sits in Parry Sound District, Ontario. The land about it is mixed forest. About 3 hectares of surface, which puts the far bank inside easy sight. On size it sits at the modest end of our Parry Sound District list. 13 km away sits South River, the nearest town. The big place round here is Greater Sudbury, 155 km distant. The nearest boundary is a fair way off.

• Where to Fish on Butterfield Lake

  We hold no survey for this water; read the slope of the shoreline instead. This is a lake, so the margins and the first drop matter most. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. Across Parry Sound District, recorded fish include smallmouth bass, pumpkinseed, yellow perch, northern pike and rock bass. County records show the wider picture rather than this one place. At Butterfield Lake the first feature you find is worth twenty minutes.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Climate normals give 18°C for July and -12°C for January. A hard winter is normal, and the thaw brings a strong few weeks. After late April the shallows warm and the fish move up. Open water usually runs from late April until about late November. June through September is the settled part of the year, with the shoulders busier for fish. On Butterfield Lake that shapes the whole year.

• Tackle & Baits

  Ownership and access are not documented in what we hold. We find no slipway, car park or made path within a short radius, so treat access as rough. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. Sort the permit out before you load the car. Close seasons apply to some species and not others. The nearest alternative is Starvation Lake, 0.9 km out. Confirm access to Butterfield Lake locally before you travel.