Fishing Butterfield Lake in Watonwan County, Minnesota

• Overview

  Butterfield Lake is a Watonwan County water, in Minnesota. What surrounds it is mixed forest. Surface area is around 53 acres, which gives you real water without needing a boat. With about 1.5 miles of edge, you can try several depths in one session. Our Watonwan County list holds plenty of bigger water. Start from Mountain Lake, 6.2 miles down the road. Sioux Falls is the closest city, 100 miles away. You are close to a county edge here; who manages the access can change within a short drive.

• Where to Fish on Butterfield Lake

  No published figure covers depth, so learn it as you fish. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. Fish documented in Watonwan County include common carp, walleye and black bullhead. The list covers the county rather than this water alone, so treat it as a guide. Treat Butterfield Lake as a water to read rather than to cover.

• Seasonal Patterns

  On the long-term average, July reads 72°F and January reads 13°F. Winter puts a hard lid on this one. Ice-out usually falls in early April, and the weeks after it fish hardest. In an average year the thaw lands around early April and the freeze near late November. Spring is short and heavy here; autumn is longer and steadier. Keep it in mind when planning a trip to Butterfield Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing on record says whether the bank is open or closed. Records list it as a natural water body rather than an impoundment. Overnight stays are possible half a mile away. Bass water: a Texas-rigged worm near cover, a spinnerbait when you need to cover ground. Parking space is the usual limit rather than the bank itself. Where tickets apply, they are sold in the nearest town rather than on the bank. Failing this one, try Sulem Lake, 2.5 miles away. None of that is settled for Butterfield Lake in what we hold.