Buttle Lake
MU 1-9, Vancouver Island
49.6997° N, 125.5497° W
- Surface area
- 3726.8ha
- Maximum depth
- 120m
- 394 ft
- Elevation
- 221m
The lake is located in Strathcona Provincial Park and is accessed from Highway 28 to Gold River and from the south arm of Upper Campbell Lake.
Open Buttle Lake in the appThe 7-day forecast, max depth and wildfire smoke check, on the lake's own coordinate.
Trophy fish at Buttle Lake
Buttle Lake is known for trophy Rainbow trout to 8 lb.
- Rainbow trout to 8 lb
- Cutthroat trout to 5 lb
- Dolly Varden to 6 lb
Trophy sizes this lake is known for, not a typical catch. They are historical records from our own big fish list, with no date on file, not recent catches.
Buttle Lake at a glance
- Region
- Vancouver Island
- Management unit
- MU 1-9
- Species
- Rainbow Trout, Cutthroat Trout, Coastal Cutthroat Trout, Dolly Varden, Threespine Stickleback, Sculpin (General), Prickly Sculpin (last recorded 1992), Rainbow Smelt (last recorded 1951)The newest of these fish records is from 2019.Species from the province's fish observation records.
- Lake size
- Large Water (> 500 ha)
- Ice fishing
- No ice fishing closure on file
- Coordinates
- 49.6997, -125.5497
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Gear for rainbow trout
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Fish on record at Buttle Lake
| Species | First recorded | Last recorded | Records |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rainbow Trout | 1951 | 2001 | 47 |
| Cutthroat Trout | 1951 | 2001 | 19 |
| Coastal Cutthroat Trout | 2019 | 2019 | 2 |
| Dolly Varden | 1951 | 2001 | 14 |
| Threespine Stickleback | 1983 | 2018 | 6 |
| Sculpin (General) | 1951 | 2018 | 5 |
| Prickly Sculpin | 1951 | 1992 | 2 |
| Rainbow Smelt | 1951 | 1951 | 1 |
A year is when the Province last recorded the fish here, not a statement that it is caught today.
How to fish Buttle Lake
Best times of year at Buttle Lake
- May - June
- September - October
Buttle Lake fishing regulations
We have no lake specific regulations on file for Buttle Lake yet.
Getting to Buttle Lake
Campgrounds, accommodation and boat launching facilities are provided. The area provides one of the island's most spectacular mountain views.
Coordinates: 49.6997, -125.5497
Camping and rec sites at Buttle Lake
- Buttle Lake Campground (Strathcona Provincial Park)
85 vehicle-accessible campsites, concrete boat launch, playground
Facilities: Concrete Boat Launch, Pit Toilets, Water Pump, Fire Rings, Tables, Playground
Access: Hwy 28 (Gold River Hwy) west of Campbell River (Paved)
Depth chart for Buttle Lake
120 mdeepest
Buttle Lake runs to 120 m (394 ft) at its deepest.
The Province sounded Buttle Lake and published the depth chart surveyed in 1979. It runs to 2 sheets.
The ice year at Buttle Lake, modelled
Modelled from air temperature, not an ice report. It says nothing about whether ice will hold you.
The model treats Buttle Lake as too large and deep to freeze over, so it gives no freeze-up or ice-off dates. On air temperature alone it would have frozen in 44 of 65 winters since 1960.
No ice fishing closure is recorded for Buttle Lake, so the general regional regulations apply.
Whether a lake is open to ice fishing says nothing about whether its ice will hold you. Ice conditions vary year to year and across a single lake. Check locally before going out, every time.
Buttle Lake climate, 1960 to 2025
Averaged over a year, the air above Buttle Lake is 0.8 C warmer than it was in the 1960s. That is 66 years of daily readings, not a forecast.
- +0.8 Csince the 1960s
- 2.8 Caverage year now
- 2.0 Caverage year then
- -8 daysbelow freezing, change
each yearthe trend across 1960 to 2025
each yearthe trend across 1960 to 2025
This week at Buttle Lake
The forecast on this lake's own coordinate, refreshed through the day. The app reads these seven days for fishing and scores each one.
| Day | Sky | High / low | Wind | Rain | Pressure |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tue 20 Oct | Clear sky | 16° / 5° | 9 km/h, gusts 16 | dry | Steady |
| Wed 21 Oct | Overcast | 15° / 7° | 10 km/h, gusts 17 | dry | Falling (-4.9 hPa) |
| Thu 22 Oct | Dense drizzle | 14° / 5° | 8 km/h | 1 mm | Rising (+2.0 hPa) |
| Fri 23 Oct | Overcast | 15° / 5° | 8 km/h | dry | Rising (+9.9 hPa) |
| Sat 24 Oct | Overcast | 13° / 7° | 7 km/h | dry | Rising (+2.6 hPa) |
| Sun 25 Oct | Overcast | 18° / 8° | 6 km/h | dry | Falling (-1.5 hPa) |
| Mon 26 Oct | Overcast | 19° / 11° | 5 km/h | dry | Falling (-1.2 hPa) |
Buttle Lake, in brief
What fish are in Buttle Lake?
Rainbow Trout, Cutthroat Trout, Coastal Cutthroat Trout, Dolly Varden. Species from the province's fish observation records.
Which management unit is Buttle Lake in?
Buttle Lake is in MU 1-9, on Vancouver Island. The BC Freshwater Fishing Regulations Synopsis is organised by management unit; check it before you go.
Trout lakes near Buttle Lake
- Moat Lake 12 km away
- Panther Lake 17 km away
- Mckay Lake 20 km away
- Mckenzie Lake 21 km away
- Wowo Lake 21 km away
All 193 lakes on Vancouver Island, with today's conditions on each.