Minnesota DNR fisheries surveys · latest June 24, 1981
Butterfield Lake FishingAWater-quality grade A
Minnesota DNR surveys at Butterfield Lake average 4.04 northern pike per unit of sampling effort (CPUE) across 1 survey. The most recent is a Standard Survey dated June 24, 1981. In Crow Wing County, Minnesota, Butterfield Lake carries an overall water-quality grade of A. Water clarity averages 12.9 feet of visibility. The survey figures on this page are Minnesota DNR's own; the water-quality grade comes from EPA Water Quality Portal samples. Neither is a forecast of today's bite.
Stocking at Butterfield Lake
No stocking record for Butterfield Lake appears in the Minnesota DNR material on file. That is an absence in the published record, not a confirmation that the lake is unstocked — some waters are managed as naturally reproducing and never appear in a stocking list at all.
Survey results in full
Minnesota DNR surveys at Butterfield Lake average 4.04 northern pike per unit of sampling effort (CPUE) across 1 survey. The most recent is a Standard Survey dated June 24, 1981.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not a water-quality grade. LakeQuality grades Butterfield Lake A from EPA Water Quality Portal chemistry, and the water-quality trend over 6 years of monitoring is improving. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
DNR Fisheries Survey Summary
1 survey on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 1981-06-24 (Standard Survey).
Top Species by Catch Rate
| Species | Avg catch rate (CPUE) | Avg Weight |
|---|---|---|
| Bluegill | 37.13 | 0.17 lb |
| Pumpkinseed | 15.50 | 0.12 lb |
| Northern Pike | 4.04 | 1.5 lb |
| Yellow Perch | 3.38 | 0.2 lb |
| White Sucker | 1.54 | 2.66 lb |
| Black Crappie | 1.38 | 0.52 lb |
CPUE = catch per unit effort, averaged across surveys (excludes juvenile shoreline seining). Higher CPUE means more abundant in standardized sampling. This is not a weekly bite report.
From the 1981-06-24 survey
Test netting indicates a good Northern Pike population although fish are small. Also a good population of Crappies and Bluegills were present. Local reports indicated a good Largemouth Bass population also, though netting didn't show many.
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Butterfield Lake. 1 report on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — ButterfieldFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
Common questions
What fish are in Butterfield Lake?
Minnesota DNR surveys at Butterfield Lake average 4.04 northern pike per unit of sampling effort (CPUE) across 1 survey. The most recent is a Standard Survey dated June 24, 1981. Those are survey results, not a catch report: a net set on one date measures what was in that net.
When was Butterfield Lake last surveyed?
The most recent fisheries survey on file for Butterfield Lake is dated June 24, 1981. Survey intervals vary by lake and by species; a gap of several years between surveys is normal and does not mean the record is missing.
Is Butterfield Lake stocked?
No stocking record for Butterfield Lake appears in the Minnesota DNR material on file. That is not the same as a confirmed unstocked lake: it means no stocking document was published for it in the records this page draws on.
Does the water-quality grade tell me how Butterfield Lake fishes?
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not a water-quality grade. LakeQuality grades Butterfield Lake A from EPA Water Quality Portal chemistry, and the water-quality trend over 6 years of monitoring is improving. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
Before you eat what you catch
A water-quality grade is not a consumption advisory. Mercury and PCB advice for Minnesota waters comes from MDH, and it is issued per species and per size class — a lake can grade well and still carry a meal limit on larger predator fish.
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