Butler Lake, Pennsylvania: Fishing Spots and Seasons

• Overview

  Butler Lake falls in Susquehanna County, part of Pennsylvania. The surface lies 1,680 feet up. It covers about 24 acres, so this is small water you can walk round in under an hour. Susquehanna sits 5.1 miles from the bank. For a city, Syracuse is 86 miles off. Others worth noting: Fullers Lake 1.4 miles off, Foxton Lake the better part of 1.5 miles, Page Lake 1.9 miles off, Ross Pond the better part of 2.5 miles and Stump Pond 2.7 miles off. Rules here are straightforward: one county, one set of rules.

• Where to Fish on Butler Lake

  Depth is not on record here, which means reading the ground instead. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. Records held for Susquehanna County cover brown trout, brook trout and smallmouth bass. Those are county-wide records, so not every one of them will be in this water. Read Butler Lake before you fish it and the day goes better.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The seasonal spread runs 21°F to 67°F. A solid cap is the normal state through winter. Expect a solid lid for months and a thaw around early April. Break-up sits around early April on average, with the water closing again about mid December. May into June fishes hardest, and September gives a second good stretch before the lid returns. On Butler Lake the same rules apply, with local timing.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether the bank is open is not something our records settle. No car park, ramp or path is recorded within easy reach of the shore. Bass water: a Texas-rigged worm near cover, a spinnerbait when you need to cover ground. Read any posted signs at the access point rather than assuming. Where tickets apply, they are sold in the nearest town rather than on the bank. For a change of water, Fullers Lake is 1.4 miles distant. Signs at Butler Lake carry more weight than any list.