Butternut Lake Fishing near Dassel, Minnesota

• Overview

  Look for Butternut Lake in the Meeker County part of Minnesota. The bank is 1,083 feet above sea level. It measures about 77 acres, which is a comfortable size for bank fishing. The edge runs 1.5 miles or so, easy to work in an afternoon. It is a small entry by Meeker County standards. Nearest town is Dassel, 1.6 miles off. Cokato is 5.8 miles away, with Howard Lake at 11 miles. The boundary is close enough to be worth checking before you fish.

• Where to Fish on Butternut Lake

  Depth is not on record here, which means reading the ground instead. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. Open biodiversity records for Meeker County list largemouth bass, walleye, northern pike and common carp. County records show the wider picture rather than this one place. At Butternut Lake the first feature you find is worth twenty minutes.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Expect July to average close to 72°F, with January the cold end at about 11°F. Winter shuts things down for a spell, then spring reopens them fast. Once it clears, about early April, the fishing comes on quickly. Climate figures give an open season running early April to late November. Spring is short and heavy here; autumn is longer and steadier. It holds true on Butternut Lake more years than not.

• Tackle & Baits

  Public data does not answer the access question here. No dam controls it, and the level follows the season. There is no mapped parking or launch nearby, which keeps numbers down. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. Where a permit is needed, the nearest town usually sells it. Fishing rules and camping rules are set separately here. Should this one be busy, Sellards Lake is 1.6 miles off. Ask locally about Butternut Lake if anything is unclear.