Butler City Lake Fishing
A 70-acre Missouri lake in Bates County.
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Where Butler City Lake sits and how big it is
The MDC outline gives Butler City Lake a surface of 70 acres, spread over Bates County. The shortest run to a town is Butler, near 5 miles. Biologists of the MDC Kansas City Region look after it. MDC lists it as part of Butler City Lake.
You can launch at 1 mapped ramp. Shore anglers can use 1 dock or jetty. Anglers can target 9 mapped attractor points.
MDC Managed Public Waterbody outlines (GIS acres, region, managing area) on gisblue.mdc.mo.gov, Census 2023 places, retrieved October 27, 2026. MDC office phone: 816-622-0900.
MDC fish attractors in Butler City Lake
MDC maps 9 attractor points in Butler City Lake, placed in 2024.
| Material | Points | Years placed |
|---|---|---|
| HabitatCove | 9 | 2024 |
MDC Fishing Interactive Map, fish attractors layer (material and year placed as mapped), retrieved October 27, 2026.
Ramps and docks on Butler City Lake
- Butler City Lakeboat ramp, parking, privy nearby; Missouri Department of Conservation
Fishing docks MDC maps at Butler City Lake
- Butler City Lakefishing dock, accessible
Boat ramps within reach of Butler City Lake
- Old Town Accessboat ramp, parking, 10 miles south
MDC boat ramp/access, dock and jetty layers; USACE Little Rock District ramps and USACE recreation areas; retrieved October 27, 2026.
Bag and length rules at Butler City Lake
| Species | Daily limit and length | Season |
|---|---|---|
| Black bass (largemouth, smallmouth, spotted/Kentucky) | 6 a day | All year |
| Channel catfish | 10 a day | All year |
| Blue catfish | 5 a day | All year |
| Flathead catfish | 5 a day | All year |
| Crappie (black and white) | 30 a day | All year |
| Goggle-eye (Ozark, rock, and shadow bass) and warmouth | 15 a day; 7" minimum | All year |
| Muskellunge | 1 (daily limit is 1 muskellunge or 1 northern pike); 36" minimum | All year |
| Northern pike | 1 (daily limit is 1 muskellunge or 1 northern pike) | All year |
| Paddlefish (spoonbill) | 2 a day; 32" minimum (eye to fork of tail) | March 15–April 30 |
| Pickerel (chain and grass) | 6 a day | All year |
| Shovelnose sturgeon | 10 a day; 30" maximum (snout to fork of tail) | All year |
| Trout (rainbow and brown) | 4 a day; Rainbow: none; Brown: 15" minimum in streams | All year |
| Walleye and sauger | 4 a day; 15" minimum | All year |
| White, yellow, and striped bass and their hybrids | 15 a day; No more than 4 longer than 18" | All year |
At Butler City Lake the statewide limits apply, with any listed exception taking priority.
Limits and seasons as printed in A Summary of Missouri Fishing Regulations 2026 (MDC, effective March 1, 2026), page 20 (booklet PDF); retrieved October 27, 2026.
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For more room to roam, Montrose Lake offers 1,444 acres.
| Lake | Distance | Acres | Ramps | Attractors | Species named |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Butler City Lake | 70 | 1 | 9 | 0 | |
| Harmony Mission Lake | 14 miles south | 93 | 1 | 5 | 0 |
| Unit 3 Lake | 18 miles south | 21 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Amarugia Highlands Lake | 18 miles north | 41 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Four Rivers Reservoir | 19 miles south | 134 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Montrose Lake | 27 miles east | 1,444 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
MDC waterbody outlines, ramp and attractor layers, 2026 prospects; retrieved October 27, 2026.
What else lies close to Butler City Lake
Lakes to try after Butler City Lake
- Harmony Mission Lake14 miles south
- Unit 3 Lake18 miles south
- Amarugia Highlands Lake18 miles north
- Four Rivers Reservoir19 miles south
- Montrose Lake27 miles east
Where to sleep before fishing Butler City Lake
- Butler5 miles
- Adrian10 miles
- Rich Hill13 miles
Counties sharing Butler City Lake
- Bates Countyseat: Butler
Line and reels from Piscifun ahead of Butler City Lake
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Photographs of fishing water by Butler City Lake
Photo: Glenn Kinyon, CC BY-SA 3.0
Photo: Nightryder84, CC BY-SA 3.0
Photo: Semipaw, CC BY 3.0
Photo: Nightryder84, CC BY-SA 3.0
Before a trip to Butler City Lake, the common questions
Where in the Show-Me State is Butler City Lake?
The outline sits in Bates County, the MDC Kansas City Region, about 5 miles from Butler.
How many acres is Butler City Lake by MDC mapping?
The outline measures 70 acres.
Where is the nearest ramp to Butler City Lake?
Yes, 1 mapped ramp, such as Butler City Lake.
Which gamefish are named for Butler City Lake?
MDC publishes no species list for it in this data.
Is there a length limit at Butler City Lake?
Black bass (largemouth, smallmouth, spotted/Kentucky): 6 a day; All year.
Can a visitor from another state fish Missouri's Butler City Lake?
Missouri anglers 16 through 64 carry a fishing permit: $14 a year for residents, $57 for nonresidents, or $9 for a daily permit.
Is there a horsepower limit on Butler City Lake?
No motor limit is on file; signs on site decide.
Where does a Missouri angler buy bait near Butler City Lake?
Every listed shop is over 25 miles off.
Has MDC added fish cover to Butler City Lake?
Yes: 9 attractor points on the MDC layer.
Give a Missouri weekend to Butler City Lake
Buy the Missouri permit online before the trip.