Butternut Lake Fishing

Current conditions from Eagle Pointe

Butternut Lake Weather

A live forecast for Butternut Lake (about 45.968°N, 90.519°W), with wind, temperature in °F, wind in mph, and precipitation in inches. Use the forecast panel on the map for the coming days. This does not replace the official National Weather Service forecast linked below.

National Weather Service 7-day forecast for Butternut Lake · text-only forecast. The NWS point forecast is for “3 Miles SSW Butternut WI.”

Snowmobile and ice conditions

We do not post “trails are open” or a live ice-thickness number on this site. Check a current official report, and call us at 715-762-4857 or Bridge Bait before you ride or walk out. The Wisconsin DNR does not monitor local ice thickness.

• Fifield Sno Drovers trail reports — the most detailed local snowmobile report for Price County corridors
• Park Falls Area Chamber trail reports and the Chamber’s snowmobiling overview
• Phillips Chamber trail-report hub
• Travel Wisconsin snowmobile conditions — statewide volunteer reports
• Price County official snowmobile trail maps (maps, not a live conditions feed)
• Wisconsin DNR ice safety

Butternut Lake facts

Butternut Lake (WBIC 2283300) sits on the Ashland–Price County line just north of Park Falls. It is a 983-acre drainage lake, 32 feet at its deepest and 14 feet on average, with low water clarity. The Wisconsin DNR rates it eutrophic and describes a mostly sand bottom. Do not confuse this lake with other Wisconsin waters also named Butternut (a different lake, WBIC 2105800, also exists).

What’s in the lake

For anglers, the headline is simple. The Wisconsin DNR lists musky and walleye as abundant, panfish as common, and largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, northern pike, and sturgeon as present.

Please help limit aquatic invasives already recorded here, including rusty crayfish, purple loosestrife, yellow iris, mystery snails, and non-native ornamental water lilies. Clean, drain, and dry boats, trailers, and equipment.

2026–27 regulations that matter

Always re-check the DNR’s lake-specific 2026–27 rules for Butternut Lake before you fish. Dates and special regulations can change. Statewide season dates are also posted on the DNR fishing seasons page.

Wisconsin’s general inland season opens Saturday, May 2, 2026. On this lake, the current rules that matter most for guests are:

• Walleye, sauger, and hybrids: May 2, 2026 – March 7, 2027. No minimum length, but only 1 fish over 14 inches; daily bag 3.
• Muskellunge and hybrids: May 2, 2026 – December 31, 2026, on open water. Minimum length 40 inches; daily bag 1.
• Panfish: Open all year; no minimum length; daily bag 25.
• Northern pike: May 2, 2026 – March 7, 2027; no minimum length; daily bag 5.
• Smallmouth bass: Catch-and-release only May 2 – June 19, 2026; harvest with largemouth (14-inch minimum, bag 5 combined) June 20, 2026 – March 7, 2027.
• Motor trolling is allowed with up to 3 hooks, baits, or lures per angler.

Lake sturgeon has a short hook-and-line harvest window (September 5–30, 2026, 60-inch minimum, season limit 1, with tagging and registration) and catch-and-release-only periods around it. Most guests are not targeting sturgeon — please read the DNR regulation page rather than relying on a summary.

Seasons on the lake

Spring — opener, May 2, 2026

The general inland season opens Saturday, May 2, 2026. That is when walleye, musky, northern pike, and the smallmouth catch-and-release period begin on this lake under the current rules. Confirm dates on the DNR regulation page before you travel.

Summer

Open-water season is in full swing through the warmer months. Motor trolling is allowed with up to three hooks, baits, or lures per angler. Smallmouth harvest (together with largemouth) opens June 20, 2026, under the current rule. There is no official weekly “what’s biting” report for this lake, so the best same-week guidance is a call to our office or to Bridge Bait.

Fall musky

Muskellunge may be targeted from the May 2 opener through December 31, 2026, on open water only, with a 40-inch minimum and a daily bag of one. Walleye remain open through March 7, 2027, under the current rule.

Ice fishing

Panfish stay open all year. Walleye and northern pike remain open through March 7, 2027. Musky season on this lake is an open-water season only, through December 31, 2026, so it is not an ice fishery under the current rule.

Public landings, licenses, and bait

The DNR lists four public boat landings: Grants Landing, the North Launch Access, a carry-in site, and the access at County Highway B. Check for posted boating rules at the landing. See the DNR boating and landing details. Our guests also have private docks and a boat launch at the property.

The DNR’s Wisconsin Fishing Report is an annual forecast, not a weekly hook-and-line report, and the 2026 edition does not include a dedicated write-up for Butternut Lake. The most reliable planning tools are the DNR lake page, the current regulation sheet, and same-week conditions from people on the water.

Why stay at Eagle Pointe

Eagle Pointe Lodging sits on the lake with private docks and waterfront cabins, so you can fish right from your place. Musky Haven is our dog-friendly 2-bedroom cabin, with a private dock (from $140/night, $157 from December 2). The Lake House is a 3-bedroom, 2-bath A-frame that sleeps eight (from $285/night, $310 from December 2). There is trailer parking on the property and a 3-night minimum. Lakeside and Honeymoon are closed for winter and reopen at fishing opener. Book direct at eaglepointelodging.com and skip third-party booking fees, or call or text 715-762-4857.

For a wider guest guide to hunting, trails, weather, events, and dining, see our Local Area Guide, restaurant guide, Deer Camp page, and Events calendar. Fishing notes and seasonal posts also appear on our blog.