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Butternut and Franklin Lake Info
These two lakes lie just west of Eagle River in western Forest County. Both offer good and similar fisheries. Butternut, however, is probably the more productive body of water and has, therefore, a better fish population. The lake is known as a Walleye and trophy Northern Pike lake. You’ll find Northerns up to 25 pounds here,though catching them can be a trick. The Walleyes tend to run small, around 14 inches on average, though there are lots of them. And then there are Smallmouth Bass. Butternut is one of the better Smallmouth lakes in the area. The majority of the Smallies are around a pound and a half. There are lots of them, and they’re well worth fishing for. You’ll find some weedbeds here, which can be fished successfully for Walleyes and Northerns. For Smallies, you’ll want to fish the remains of old cribs in the southeast bay, near the landing, and scattered along the west shore from just below the point on up to the north end. And don’t ignore the rocky bars and islands on both sides. The island and related structure on the east is good Walleye country. And the west island/bar complex is likewise good for Walleyes, along with Smallies. But watch out for this area. The rocks here come verrrrrrrry close to the surface, and you could lose your lower unit if you’re not careful. Many boaters have already done so. Franklin, meanwhile, is known as a good early-season lake for Walleyes, despite its clear water. For some reason, the Walleyes get real tough in the summer; spring is the best time to fish them. Look for them off the point and island on the southwest, in the shallow bay to the southwest of this structure, and around the rock humps in the southwest end. You’ll also find them off the underwater point on the northwest. There’s a weed edge here which can be worked successfully. Jig/minnow combinations or crankbaits are the popular rigs. Meanwhile, big Northerns can sometimes be caught in the weedy area around the island on the southeast. And you’ll find Smallies in the rocky bay near the landing and along the eastern shore. A heads-up is in order: the rock humps on the southwest come quite close to the surface in some cases. You can lose a lower unit here as easily as you can in Butternut. Motor trolling is permitted here, and access is fairly good on both lakes.
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