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Wisconsin lakes

Butternut Lake, Price County Fishing

A 983-acre Wisconsin lake in Price County and Ashland County, down to 32 feet.

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Photo of Pike Lake: Awkwafaba, CC BY-SA 3.0

Price County

The basics of Butternut Lake, Price County for anglers

Butternut Lake, Price County is a lake of 983 acres lying in Price County and Ashland County. The bottom drops to 32 feet at most, with a mean of 14 feet. For a home base, Butternut is roughly 3 miles away. It falls in the WDNR Northern Region. Its WDNR lake class is complex cool dark.

WDNR tracks a musky population here (natural reproduction plus stocking (cat. 2)). Walleye numbers rest on stocking plus natural reproduction, according to the DNR. Being in the ceded territory, it follows the three-walleye bag. Find a Lake shows muskellunge, walleye, panfish, largemouth bass, northern pike and smallmouth bass. Public launching comes through 4 public boat landings. About 5 feet of clarity, by the 2017 satellite estimate.

983acres
32 ftmaximum depth
4mapped landings
5 ftsatellite clarity
Directions to Butternut LakeWDNR Find a Lake page
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Fish

The Butternut Lake, Price County fishery by species

Abundance labels for Butternut Lake, Price County come straight from the WDNR lake page.

Fish groupWDNR abundance
MuskyAbundant
WalleyeAbundant
PanfishCommon
Largemouth BassPresent
Northern PikePresent
Smallmouth BassPresent
SturgeonPresent

The walleye layer lists Butternut Lake, Price County with stocking plus natural reproduction. WDNR musky category for Butternut Lake, Price County is natural reproduction plus stocking (cat. 2).

WDNR on lakes like Butternut Lake, Price County

“Complex cool dark lakes can often support quality or action walleye fisheries, and can have great action fisheries for yellow perch, and have the potential to produce quality northern pike and muskellunge fisheries.”

Muskellunge Walleye Panfish Largemouth bass Northern pike Smallmouth bass Sturgeon

WDNR Find a Lake fish list and abundance, WDNR lake classification and fisheries designation layers, checked October 2026.

Landings

Launching on Butternut Lake, Price County

  • Butternut Lake Access near Butternut1 lane, more than 25 trailer stalls, boarding dock, restroom, Property Manager
  • Butternut Lake Carry-In Boat Landing1 lane, Town of Lake
  • Butternut Lake North Launch1 lane, 1 to 5 trailer stalls, boarding dock, Town of Chippewa
  • Grants Landing1 lane, Town of Lake

Other launches near Butternut Lake, Price County

  • Hines Park AccessFlambeau River, 4 miles southeast
  • Park Falls Carry-inFlambeau River, 4 miles east
  • Smith Lake County Park Boat LandingSmith Lake, 4 miles south
  • Demars Bridge Carry-in Boat LandingFlambeau River, 5 miles southeast
  • Park Falls Boat RampFlambeau River, 5 miles southeast
  • Second Slough Boat LandingUpper Park Falls Flowage, 5 miles east

WDNR Boat Access and Shore Fishing layers and Find a Lake landing table, checked October 2026.

Water

Water quality and bottom at Butternut Lake, Price County

32 ftdeepest point
14 ftmean depth
5 ftsatellite clarity (2017)
drainagelake type
eutrophictrophic status

Expect a bottom of 60% sand, 20% gravel, 15% rock, 5% muck on Butternut Lake, Price County.

By water source, Butternut Lake, Price County counts as a drainage lake (a stream flows in and out).

Invasive species the WDNR has confirmed in Butternut Lake, Price County: banded mystery snail, chinese mystery snail, ornamental water lilies (non-native nymphaea sp.), purple loosestrife, rusty crayfish and yellow iris. Clean boats and drain live wells before leaving the landing.

WDNR Find a Lake page, WDNR Landsat lake clarity layer, checked October 2026.

Regulations

Seasons and bag limits on Butternut Lake, Price County

For Butternut Lake, Price County, the DNR regulation search returns the rows shown here.

SpeciesSeasonRule
Walleye, sauger and hybridsMay 2, 2026 to March 7, 2027No minimum length limit, but only 1 fish over 14" is allowed and the daily bag limit is 3.
Muskellunge and hybridsMay 2, 2026 to December 31, 2026 on open waterThe minimum length limit is 40" and the daily bag limit is 1.
Northern pikeMay 2, 2026 to March 7, 2027No minimum length limit and the daily bag limit is 5.
Largemouth and smallmouth bassJune 20, 2026 to March 7, 2027The minimum length limit is 14" and the daily bag limit is 5.
Largemouth bassMay 2, 2026 to June 19, 2026The minimum length limit is 14" and the daily bag limit is 5.
Smallmouth bassMay 2, 2026 to June 19, 2026Fish may not be harvested (catch and release only).
PanfishOpen All YearNo minimum length limit and the daily bag limit is 25.
CatfishOpen All YearNo minimum length limit and the daily bag limit is 10.
Lake sturgeonSeptember 5, 2026 to September 30, 2026All sturgeon taken with hook and line must be tagged and registered. The minimum length is 60" and season limit is 1 fish.
Shovelnose sturgeonClosedNo fishing allowed.
Cisco and whitefishOpen All YearNo minimum length limit and the daily bag limit is 10.
Rock, yellow and white bassOpen All YearNo minimum length limit and the daily bag limit is unlimited.
BullheadsOpen All YearNo minimum length limit and the daily bag limit is unlimited.
Rough fishOpen All YearNo minimum length limit and the daily bag limit is unlimited.

The all-species line for Butternut Lake, Price County reads: Catch and release fishing for largemouth and smallmouth bass is open year round unless otherwise noted. Motor Trolling is allowed with up to 3 hooks, baits, or lures, per angler.

The Price County entry says: Price County is in the ceded territory (see page 13 for additional ceded territory information). Motor trolling is permitted countywide (three hooks, baits or lures per person). With the exceptions below, Northern Bass Zone rules apply (see page 12).

Pike rules here follow the zone north of Hwy 10; bass follow the Northern Bass Zone.

WDNR Lake Regulation search and the 2026-2027 Guide to Wisconsin Hook and Line Fishing Regulations, checked October 2026.

All Wisconsin limitsWDNR regulation record
Stocking

Fish stocked in Butternut Lake, Price County

WDNR crews stocked Butternut Lake, Price County 3 times from 2023 to 2025, 3,919 fish counted.

YearSpeciesSizeAvg lengthNumber
2025Black crappieadult6 in1,999
2024Black crappieadult6 in920
2023Black crappieadult6 in1,000

WDNR Fish Stocking Summary, stocking years 2023 to 2025. Wisconsin stocking.

Compare

Butternut Lake, Price County against nearby lakes

LakeDistanceAcresMax depth ftLandingsWDNR class
Butternut Lake, Price County983324complex cool dark
Schnur Lakeunder a mile northeast154270complex cool dark
Mud Lake near Park Falls, Price County2 miles south2280simple harsh has fishery
Buckman Lake3 miles south34180simple harsh has fishery
Parker Lake, Ashland County4 miles northeast2260simple harsh has fishery
Gardner Lake, Price County4 miles south25300simple warm dark

WDNR Find a Lake, lake classification and boat access layers.

Nearby

Close to Butternut Lake, Price County

More water to try near Butternut Lake, Price County

  • Schnur Lakeunder a mile northeast
  • Mud Lake near Park Falls, Price County2 miles south
  • Buckman Lake3 miles south
  • Parker Lake, Ashland County4 miles northeast
  • Gardner Lake, Price County4 miles south

Shops that serve Butternut Lake, Price County anglers

  • St Croix Rodsbait and tackle shop, Park Falls, 4 miles
  • Buccanero's Baitsbait and tackle shop, Glidden, 13 miles
  • Flambeau Sports General Storesporting goods store, Phillips, 13 miles
  • Chase Creek Outfittersbait and tackle shop, Phillips, 19 miles
  • Ross Sport Shopsporting goods store, Phillips, 20 miles
  • Northwoods Camping Suppliesbait and tackle shop, Phillips, 20 miles

Communities around Butternut Lake, Price County

  • Butternut3 miles
  • Park Falls4 miles
  • Glidden12 miles

Counties holding Butternut Lake, Price County

  • Price Countyseat: Phillips
  • Ashland Countyseat: Ashland
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Photographs

Water close to Butternut Lake, Price County in photographs

Ashland County, Wisconsin
Ashland County 46 mi
Photo: Joshua Mayer, CC BY-SA 2.0
First Black Lake, Wisconsin
First Black Lake 21 mi
Photo: Charlocharlie, CC BY-SA 4.0
Day Lake, Ashland County, Wisconsin
Day Lake, Ashland County 24 mi
Photo: Forest Service, Eastern Region, Public domain
Willow River, Wisconsin
Willow River 29 mi
Photo: Tony Webster, CC BY-SA 2.0
Answers

Common questions about fishing Butternut Lake, Price County

Where in Wisconsin is Butternut Lake, Price County?

Price County and Ashland County holds it, WDNR Northern Region, about 3 miles from Butternut.

How deep does Butternut Lake, Price County get?

Roughly 983 acres and 32 feet at the deepest.

Which public landing serves anglers on Butternut Lake, Price County?

There are 4 mapped landings; Butternut Lake Access near Butternut has the most lanes.

Is Butternut Lake, Price County good for panfish?

WDNR lists muskellunge (abundant), walleye (abundant), panfish (common), largemouth bass (present), northern pike (present), smallmouth bass (present) and sturgeon (present).

Which WDNR rules cover Butternut Lake, Price County?

For Walleye, sauger and hybrids, No minimum length limit, but only 1 fish over 14" is allowed and the daily bag limit is 3.

Which Wisconsin license covers fishing Butternut Lake, Price County?

Anglers 16 and older need a Wisconsin fishing license: $20 a year for residents and $55 for nonresidents, with a $5 first-time buyer rate for residents.

What is the water like in Butternut Lake, Price County?

Satellite clarity about 5 feet (2017). Bottom: 60% sand, 20% gravel, 15% rock, 5% muck. WDNR class: complex cool dark. Type: drainage.

Where are minnows sold on the drive to Butternut Lake, Price County?

Drive 4 miles to reach St Croix Rods.

Which fish are stocked in Butternut Lake, Price County?

Latest on file (2025): 1,999 black crappie.

Trailer up for Butternut Lake, Price County

Check the posted rules before keeping fish.

Wisconsin license and limitsAll Wisconsin lakes