US lakes & ponds
Wisconsin › Polk County › Luck › Little Butternut Lake

Little Butternut Lake

Luck, Wisconsin — Polk County.

Share:TextEmailFacebookX
185Surface acres
1Public access sites
0.4 miShoreline trails

Surface area: The USGS National Hydrography Dataset outline (NHD Permanent ID 91679377).

Location & fast facts

Where Little Butternut Lake is in Wisconsin

The red circle marks Little Butternut Lake.

Fast facts

About Little Butternut Lake

  • County: Polk
  • Town: Luck
  • Mapped as: Lake or pond (USGS National Hydrography Dataset)
  • Distance: about 287 mi from Milwaukee and 146 mi from Wausau, straight-line (not driving distance)

Towns and counties: U.S. Census Bureau boundaries overlaid on the USGS lake outline.

Fishing in Wisconsin

Official Wisconsin DNR pages. Rules and fees change; check before you go.

Good for & watch for

Good for

  • Boating. 1 public trailer launch listed (see access)
  • Fishing. Walleye, Northern Pike, Largemouth Bass and Panfish
  • Walking. 0.4 mi of trail near the shore (trails)
  • Camping. 31 campgrounds within 15 mi (list)

Watch for

  • Non-native/invasive species. Curly-leaf pondweed recorded. Clean, drain and dry your boat and gear.
  • Boat traffic. A public trailer launch means motorboats share the water; expect more traffic on summer weekends.
  • Cold water. Water stays cold well into late spring and turns cold again in fall. Wear a life jacket when paddling in the shoulder seasons.

Built only from the data on this page: official access lists, OpenStreetMap beaches and trails, campground listings, state and USGS invasive-species records. We don't rate crowds or water quality.

Official lake data (Wisconsin DNR)

23 ftMaximum depth
189Acres (state figure)

Fish species listed by the Wisconsin DNR (with DNR abundance rating): Panfish (common), Largemouth Bass (common), Northern Pike (common), Walleye (present).

Average depth not published.

DNR lake class: Complex - Warm - Dark

Source: Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources Lake Page for Little Butternut Lake (WBIC 2640700); maximum depth and acreage from the DNR lake classification data. Acreage here can differ slightly from our mapped outline.

Lake map

Little Butternut Lake shoreline, boat launches & beaches

Little Butternut Lake Boat Ramp (Boat launch)1¼ mileN

Numbers on the map match the list at rightbelow.

Boat launchShoreline trail
  1. 1Little Butternut Lake Boat Ramp
    Boat launch · Luck

Shoreline: USGS National Hydrography Dataset (NHD Waterbody, Permanent ID 91679377), public domain. State outline: U.S. Census Bureau TIGERweb. Points: Wisconsin DNR boat access sites. Dashed trails: © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL). Interactive map: Leaflet with © OpenStreetMap contributors. Not for navigation.

Shoreline trails

0.4 miTrail within 100 m of shore
About 10%Of the shoreline
NoLoops the whole lake
West shoreWhere

OpenStreetMap shows about 0.4 mi of public hiking and walking trail within about 100 m (330 ft) of the Little Butternut Lake shoreline, mostly along the west shore.

Trails along the shore

The dashed brown line on the lake map shows these trails. We include paths, footways and marked trails that OpenStreetMap doesn't mark as private, and leave out roads, sidewalks and snowmobile corridors. Mapped trails can still cross private land or close for the season, and not every trail is mapped, so follow posted signs.

Trails: © OpenStreetMap contributors, available under the Open Database License (ODbL). Map data as of Oct 9, 2026. Trail lengths count only the parts within about 100 m of the USGS NHD lake outline.

Campgrounds near Little Butternut Lake

We found 31 campgrounds and RV parks within 15 miles of Little Butternut Lake, 2 of them within 5 miles. Distances are straight-line from the nearest point on the shoreline, so driving distance is longer.

14 more within 15 miles

All campgrounds & RV parks in Wisconsin

Green tent icons on the lake map mark campgrounds near the shore, and the interactive map shows the closest 12. Amenities are listed only where a source records them; call or check the campground's website before you go, since seasons and rates change every year.

Campground data: OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL). Pulled Oct 12, 2026.

Conditions right now

Air temperature & conditions (nearest NWS station)Loading…
Fetching the latest National Weather Service observation…

Live from the National Weather Service API for the lake's coordinates (45.5682, -92.5016). The nearest station may be several miles away. NWS forecast for Little Butternut Lake. No live water-temperature sensor is shown because we haven't found a public one for this lake.

Sun, moon & best fishing times

Sun & moon at Little Butternut Lake

Best fishing times

Major periodMinor periodDaylight

    Based on solunar theory, an estimate. Major periods (about 2 hours) center on when the moon is directly overhead or underfoot; minor periods (about 1 hour) center on moonrise and moonset. The 0–100 activity score rises during those periods and gets a boost near sunrise and sunset and around the new and full moon. Weather, water temperature and pressure often matter more. Sun and moon times are calculated in your browser from the lake's coordinates with standard astronomy formulas, shown in CT (America/Chicago), and accurate to within a few minutes.

    Boat launches & access sites

    1 public access site listed, 1 with a boat ramp or trailer launch.

    SiteTownOwnerTypeParkingFeeUsesMap
    Little Butternut Lake Boat RampLuckParks & RecreationBoat ramp · Concrete ramp——Boating45.5728, -92.5046

    Wisconsin DNR boat access sites

    Fees, hours and rules change; confirm with the site owner before you go.

    Non-native/invasive species

    Reported on or near Little Butternut Lake

    Clean, Drain, Dry. Remove plants and mud, drain all water, and dry your boat, trailer and gear before moving to another water.

    USGS Nonindigenous Aquatic Species database

    USGS records matched to this water by location (within about 150 m of the outline) or by the place name in the record. A record shows a sighting was reported; it doesn't prove the species is still there. As of Oct 10, 2026.

    Contact & official info

    Questions about Little Butternut Lake

    How big is Little Butternut Lake?

    Little Butternut Lake covers about 185 acres in Luck, Wisconsin (Polk County).

    How deep is Little Butternut Lake?

    The maximum recorded depth is 23 feet, according to the Wisconsin DNR Lake Pages.

    What fish are in Little Butternut Lake?

    Wisconsin DNR Lake Pages lists Walleye, Northern Pike, Largemouth Bass and Panfish.

    Is there a public boat launch on Little Butternut Lake?

    Yes. 1 public trailer launch is listed: Little Butternut Lake Boat Ramp. Check posted fees and parking rules.

    Are there campgrounds near Little Butternut Lake?

    Yes. We list 31 campgrounds and RV parks within 15 miles, 2 of them within 5 miles.

    What towns are on Little Butternut Lake?

    Little Butternut Lake touches Luck in Polk County, Wisconsin.

    Share a tip or fishing report

    Know Little Butternut Lake? Tell us about the launch, parking, where they're biting or anything a first-time visitor should know. Tips go privately to the LakeRipple editor; nothing is posted automatically. Helpful tips may be featured on this page (we'll use your first name only if you give one).

    Lakes & ponds nearby

    Straight-line distance between lake centers. All Wisconsin lakes & ponds · All waters in Luck