Butternut Lake in Barron County: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Butternut Lake falls in Barron County, part of Wisconsin. It sits in lake country bush country. The water covers some 146 acres, so pick a bank rather than trying to cover it all. Bank access stretches around 2.3 miles in total. You are 7.6 miles from Shell Lake. Cumberland is 8.8 miles away, with Rice Lake at 12 miles. Rules can differ a short way off, since the county line is near.

• Where to Fish on Butternut Lake

  The records we hold are silent on depth, so plan to find it yourself. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. Across Barron County, recorded fish include brown trout, largemouth bass, northern pike, walleye and bluegill. Records at this level tell you what is in the area. At Butternut Lake light and wind decide more than tackle does.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The warmest month averages 69°F, the coldest about 9°F. The freeze arrives properly here and holds. Winter locks it down, and mid April brings it back. Break-up sits around mid April on average, with the water closing again about late November. The weeks after the thaw and the ones before the freeze are the strongest. That shapes the year on Butternut Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing on record says whether the bank is open or closed. It formed naturally, so levels move with rainfall rather than with a gate. A slipway is marked about half a mile from here. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. Ask in the nearest town if you are unsure. Close seasons apply to some species and not others. Crooked Lake at 3 miles is the sensible second choice. Treat Butternut Lake as unsettled until someone local tells you otherwise.