Butterfield

Watonwan County

Near Butterfield

DOW: 83005600

Yellow PerchGood · 73Green SunfishGood · 73Black CrappieGood · 70

A 54-acre lake near Butterfield in Watonwan County — best known for panfish and bass. Last surveyed 1992.

Fish Species (10)

Yellow Perch

Good · 73

Above-normal numbers · average-size fish

Gill-net survey · surveyed Jul 1992

Last surveyed 1992 — treat with caution

Avg Weight

0.18 lbs

Catch rate: 27.0 per gill net · typical 2.5–25.8 for a lake like this

Survey History

Date	Catch Rate	Avg Length	Avg Weight	Gear
Jul 13, 1992	5.00	-	0.14 lbs	Standard trap nets
Jul 13, 1992	27.00	-	0.18 lbs	Standard gill nets

Green Sunfish

Good · 73

Above-normal numbers · average-size fish

Trap-net survey · surveyed Jul 1992

Last surveyed 1992 — treat with caution

Avg Weight

0.12 lbs

Catch rate: 13.0 per trap net · typical 0.4–3.8 for a lake like this

Survey History

Date	Catch Rate	Avg Length	Avg Weight	Gear
Jul 13, 1992	13.00	-	0.12 lbs	Standard trap nets
Jul 13, 1992	9.00	-	0.18 lbs	Standard gill nets

Black Crappie

Stocked 2017

Good · 70

Above-normal numbers · average-size fish

Trap-net survey · surveyed Jul 1992

Last surveyed 1992 — treat with caution

Avg Weight

0.21 lbs

Catch rate: 47.0 per trap net · typical 1.3–27.7 for a lake like this

Stocked with adults irregularly · 234 fish total

Survey History

Date	Catch Rate	Avg Length	Avg Weight	Gear
Jul 13, 1992	7.00	-	0.23 lbs	Standard gill nets
Jul 13, 1992	47.00	-	0.21 lbs	Standard trap nets

Stocking Details

Year	Size	Number	Pounds	Agency
2017	adults	129	43.0	-
2016	adults	105	35.0	-

Largemouth Bass

Stocked 2024

Good · 50

Average-size fish

Trap-net survey · surveyed Jul 1992

Last surveyed 1992 — treat with caution

Avg Weight

0.60 lbs

Catch rate: 0.17 per trap net · typical 0.2–1.1 for a lake like this

Stocked with fingerlings once · 100 fish total

Survey History

Date	Catch Rate	Avg Length	Avg Weight	Gear
Jul 13, 1992	0.17	-	0.60 lbs	Standard trap nets

Stocking Details

Year	Size	Number	Pounds	Agency
2024	fingerlings	100	25.0	-

Bluegill

Stocked 2024

Average · 39

Typical numbers · small fish

Trap-net survey · surveyed Jul 1992

Last surveyed 1992 — treat with caution

Avg Weight

0.09 lbs

Catch rate: 4.7 per trap net · typical 2.8–43.3 for a lake like this

Stocked with adults irregularly · 688 fish total

Survey History

Date	Catch Rate	Avg Length	Avg Weight	Gear
Jul 13, 1992	4.67	-	0.09 lbs	Standard trap nets

Stocking Details

Year	Size	Number	Pounds	Agency
2024	adults	180	15.0	-
2023	adults	270	30.0	-
2021	adults	238	56.0	-

Pumpkinseed

Average · 33

Typical numbers · small fish

Trap-net survey · surveyed Jul 1992

Last surveyed 1992 — treat with caution

Avg Weight

0.06 lbs

Catch rate: 1.3 per trap net · typical 0.8–9.3 for a lake like this

Survey History

Date	Catch Rate	Avg Length	Avg Weight	Gear
Jul 13, 1992	1.33	-	0.06 lbs	Standard trap nets

Northern Pike

Stocked 2025

Insufficient

Trap-net survey · surveyed Jul 1992

Last surveyed 1992 — treat with caution

Avg Weight

0.31 lbs

Catch rate: 0.17 per trap net

Stocked with fingerlings irregularly · 230 fish total

Survey History

Date	Catch Rate	Avg Length	Avg Weight	Gear
Jul 13, 1992	0.17	-	0.31 lbs	Standard trap nets

Stocking Details

Year	Size	Number	Pounds	Agency
2025	fingerlings	160	40.0	-
2024	fingerlings	20	12.0	-
2017	adults	50	62.5	-

Walleye

Stocked 2022

Last Stocked

2022

Size Class

fry

Total Fish

540,000

Frequency

irregularly

Stocking Details

Year	Size	Number	Pounds	Agency
2022	fry	270,000	2.5	-
2019	fry	270,000	2.2	-

Other species in this lake (2)

Rough fish, bullheads, and baitfish recorded in DNR surveys — present in the lake, but not typical angling targets.

Black Bullhead

Good · 69

Above-normal numbers · average-size fish

Trap-net survey · surveyed Jul 1992

Last surveyed 1992 — treat with caution

Avg Weight

0.11 lbs

Catch rate: 122.5 per trap net · typical 2.5–70.2 for a lake like this

Survey History

Date	Catch Rate	Avg Length	Avg Weight	Gear
Jul 13, 1992	55.00	-	0.38 lbs	Standard gill nets
Jul 13, 1992	122.50	-	0.11 lbs	Standard trap nets

Common Carp

Good · 62

Above-normal numbers · small fish

Gill-net survey · surveyed Jul 1992

Last surveyed 1992 — treat with caution

Avg Weight

0.09 lbs

Catch rate: 153.0 per gill net · typical 1.5–11.6 for a lake like this

Survey History

Date	Catch Rate	Avg Length	Avg Weight	Gear
Jul 13, 1992	153.00	-	0.09 lbs	Standard gill nets
Jul 13, 1992	282.67	-	0.14 lbs	Standard trap nets

See the best yellow perch lakes in Minnesota

Fishing Regulations

Statewide limits

Standard statewide Minnesota limits for the species in this lake.

Walleye and Sauger

Season: May 9, 2026 – Feb 28, 2027

6 combined, not more than one walleye over 20"

Northern Pike

Season: May 9, 2026 – Feb 28, 2027

Southern zone

Angling: 2 (Minimum size 24").

Largemouth Bass

Season: Mar 1, 2026 – May 22, 2026

Largemouth bass in the Southern and North-central zones

Catch-and-release only

Largemouth Bass

Season: May 23, 2026 – Feb 28, 2027

Largemouth bass in the Southern and North-central zones

6 combined total largemouth or smallmouth (when smallmouth season is open)

Crappie

10 combined total

Sunfish

20 combined total

Perch

20 daily and 40 in possession

More statewide rules (spearing, rough fish)

Northern Pike

Season: Nov 15, 2026 – Feb 28, 2027

Southern zone

Darkhouse spearing: 2 (Minimum size 24").

Bowfin, buffalo, carp, carpsuckers, freshwater drum, goldeneye, redhorse, and suckers

no limit

Bullhead

100

Biologist Notes

July 13, 1992THE BLC POPULATION IS DOMINATED BY AGE 1 FISH (83% OF THE POPULATION). TRAPNET CATCH INDICES FOR BLC ARE ABOVE THE UPPER END OF THE NORMAL RANGE INDIC…

THE BLC POPULATION IS DOMINATED BY AGE 1 FISH (83% OF THE POPULATION). TRAPNET CATCH INDICES FOR BLC ARE ABOVE THE UPPER END OF THE NORMAL RANGE INDICATING A HIGH POPULATION FOR LAKE CLASS 44. THE LAKE WAS ALMOST DRY DURING THE WINTER OF 1989-90. THE BLC POPULATION MAY HAVE BEEN STOCKED BY AREA ANGLERS IN 1990 OR MIGRATED UP ST. JAMES CREEK IN THE SPRING OF 1990. THREE YEAR CLASSES OF YEP WERE OBSERVED DURING THE SURVEY. UNKNOWN AGE ADULT YEP WERE STOCKED IN THE SPRING PRIOR TO THE SURVEY THEREFORE IT IS UNKNOWN WHETHER THE YEP OBSERVED DURING THE SURVEY WERE FROM THE STOCKING OR IF THEY WERE PRESENT NATURALLY. TRAPNET CATCH INDICES FOR CARP WERE ALMOST 150 TIMES THE UPPER END OF THE NORMAL RANGE FOR THIS LAKE CLASS INDICATING A VERY HIGH POPULATION. A MAJORITY OF THE CARP WERE 4.0-7.0 INCHES AND ONLY 9 CARP WERE 17 INCHES OR LONGER. TRAPNET CATCH INDICES FOR BLB WERE ALMOST 8 TIMES THE UPPER END OF THE NORMAL RANGE FOR THIS LAKE CLASS. SHORELINE SEINING DATA INDICATED YEP AND OSS SPAWNED SUCCESSFULLY. BECAUSE OF THE FREQUENCY OF WINTERKILL, NOP AND YEP SHOULD BE THE PRIMARY SPECIES MANAGED FOR. IF NETTING IN THE SPRING INDICATES A MODERATE TO SEVERE WINTERKILL, YEP AND NOP SHOULD BE STOCKED.

Frequently Asked Questions

What fish can you catch in Butterfield?

Based on Minnesota DNR survey data, anglers target Yellow Perch, Green Sunfish, Black Crappie, Largemouth Bass, and Bluegill in Butterfield. See the full species list above for catch rates, size structure, and quality scores.

Is there public access at Butterfield?

We don't have a confirmed public access point on record for Butterfield. Check the DNR LakeFinder page for current access details before you go.

How deep is Butterfield?

Butterfield has a maximum depth of 10 feet, per Minnesota DNR data.

When were the main sport fish in Butterfield last surveyed?

The most recent Minnesota DNR survey data for the main sport fish in Butterfield is from 1992. Surveys this old should be treated with some caution — fish populations change over time.

Does Butterfield have any invasive species?

No invasive species are on record for Butterfield in Minnesota DNR data. Always clean, drain, and dry your equipment to help keep it that way.

Are there special fishing regulations on Butterfield?

No — Butterfield has no lake-specific regulations in the 2026 Minnesota DNR regulations, so statewide Minnesota limits apply. The statewide perch limit is: 20 daily and 40 in possession. Verify current rules with the Minnesota DNR before keeping fish.