Fishing at Butler Lake, Kalkaska County, Michigan

• Overview

  Butler Lake lies in Kalkaska County, Michigan. Country round the bank runs to lake country bush. It covers about 4 acres, so this is small water you can walk round in under an hour. It is one of the smaller waters we list in Kalkaska County. 7.3 miles away sits Kalkaska, the nearest town. Rapid City is 15 miles away, with Kingsley at 17 miles. This one is safely inside the county line.

• Where to Fish on Butler Lake

  No depth figure appears in our records, so the bank has to tell you. This is a lake, so the margins and the first drop matter most. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. Records held for Kalkaska County cover yellow perch, white sucker and rock bass. County data is a starting point rather than a guarantee. Read Butler Lake before you fish it and the day goes better.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Expect July to average close to 67°F, with January the cold end at about 18°F. Hard water is a season in its own right here. Count the season from break-up, usually mid April. Expect the water usable from around mid April until roughly early December. The strongest runs come at either end of the open season. The season on Butler Lake rarely departs from it.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether the bank is open is not something our records settle. Nothing in the way of made access shows up nearby: no ramp, no car park, no path. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. Bank access can be seasonal on ground like this. Where the way in crosses private ground, ask first. Price Lake, 1.5 miles away, makes the obvious fallback. What applies at Butler Lake may have changed since it was mapped.