Butternut Lake
Ashland County, Wisconsin · WBIC 2283300
The DNR has advice about eating fish from this water. How much is safe depends on the fish and on who is eating it. Look it up on the DNR site
This lake has fishing rules that differ from the standard ones for its area. Check the official rules before you fish. Official regulations
Size
1,006 acres
Max depth
32 ft
DNR lake type
Complex, Cool, dark water color
A cool-water lake type: the DNR groups it with lakes that stay cooler through summer. This describes the lake type in general, not this lake in particular.
Outline
Numbered dots are boat landings; tap one for directions. The list below has the same numbers. Drawn from the DNR's 24K hydrography (surveyed 1970), so the shape is approximate and a landing can sit a little off the shore. Open the DNR lake map.
Water clarity (satellite estimate)
- Summer 20162.8 ft (3,661 satellite pixels)
- Summer 20174 ft (3,709 satellite pixels)
No one has measured this lake's clarity in the monitoring data. These are estimates from satellite images of two summers only, so they may not match the lake today.
Secchi depth is how far down a white disk stays visible. A bigger number means clearer water. The estimate tops out at 16 feet.
Landsat satellite estimates published by the Wisconsin DNR (summers 2016 and 2017), averaged over the lake's outline. Informational use only.
Water temperature
A typical year Modeled estimate
- Ice goes outabout Apr 20 (Apr 10 to Apr 27)
- Surface reaches 48°Fabout May 2 (Apr 22 to May 8)
- Surface reaches 64°Fabout May 29 (May 27 to Jun 6)
- June surface69°F, usually 68 to 71°F
- July surface75°F, usually 73 to 76°F
- August surface72°F, usually 70 to 74°F
Forms a warm top layer around Jun 26, lasting about 32 days.
A computer model of this lake's typical weather and water, built from 15 years, 2005 to 2019. Ranges show the middle half of years. The model was not calibrated against measured temperatures for this lake. It is an estimate, not a measurement.
Modeled: U.S. Geological Survey lake temperature data release (doi:10.5066/P9CA6XP8).
Today at the lake
Forecast: National Weather Service (no endorsement implied). Sunrise, sunset and moon phase are calculated. The moon phase can be a day off.
Stocking history
- Black Crappielast stocked 2025 (adult); stocked in 9 years since 2010
Stocking shows what was added to the lake, not what is in it now.
Wisconsin DNR annual fish stocking summary. Checked Oct 23, 2026.
Fish recorded near this lake
- Burbot Lota lota1928; 1 record
- Common Shiner Luxilus cornutus1928; 1 record
- Iowa Darter Etheostoma exile1928; 1 record
- Johnny Darter Etheostoma nigrum1928; 1 record
- Rock Bass Ambloplites rupestris1928; 1 record
- Yellow Perch Perca flavescens1928; 1 record
Recorded in open fish survey and museum records (GBIF). A record shows a fish was found near this lake in that year, not that it is there now, and says nothing about how many. Most coordinates are rounded to about 1 km, so a record is attached only when one lake is the clear match.
Open fish survey and museum records from GBIF; datasets are listed on the sources page. Checked Oct 23, 2026.
Boat landings
- 1Butternut Lake AccessBoat ramp · Concrete surface · Accessible features · State(dnr)
Directions - 2Butternut Lake North LaunchBoat ramp · Gravel surface · Township
Directions - 3Grants Landing (listed under Price County)Carry-in access · Unimproved surface · Township
Directions - 4Butternut Lake Carry-In (listed under Price County)Carry-in access · Unimproved surface · Township
Directions
Wisconsin DNR public boat access sites. Checked Oct 23, 2026.
Water level and flow
U.S. Geological Survey gauges at or beside this lake. Readings are provisional and fetched when you open the page.
More lakes in Ashland County
- Parker Lake3.5 miles away
- Slim Lake5.2 miles away
- Bullhead Lake6.3 miles away
- Camp Four Lake7.2 miles away
- Luebke Lake8.0 miles away
- Little Butternut Lake8.1 miles away
Where this comes from
- Size, depth and lake typeWisconsin DNR lake classifications, checked Oct 23, 2026
- OutlineWisconsin DNR 24K hydrography, checked Oct 23, 2026
- Stocking historyWisconsin DNR annual fish stocking summary, checked Oct 23, 2026
- Regulations linkWisconsin DNR fishing regulations (linked, not restated), checked Oct 23, 2026
- Boat landingsWisconsin DNR public boat access sites, checked Oct 23, 2026
- Typical-year temperatureU.S. Geological Survey lake temperature model (modeled estimate), checked Oct 23, 2026
- Fish recordedOpen fish survey and museum records, via GBIF, checked Oct 23, 2026
- Water level and flowU.S. Geological Survey gauges (readings are live), checked Oct 23, 2026
- Fish consumption advice flagWisconsin DNR advisory areas (flag and link only), checked Oct 24, 2026
- VHS statusWisconsin DNR VHS status by watershed, checked Oct 24, 2026
- Depth map linkWisconsin DNR lake maps list, checked Oct 24, 2026
- Satellite clarity estimateLandsat summer clarity estimates published by the Wisconsin DNR (2016, 2017), checked Oct 24, 2026
See data sources for what each source covers, and about for how the numbers are matched to lakes.
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