Fishing at Bower Lake, Rolette County, North Dakota

• Overview

  Bower Lake is one of the Rolette County listings for North Dakota. The country here is rolling bush. At about 140 acres, a day is enough to walk the shoreline properly. The full circuit measures close to 2.5 miles on foot. Size puts it in the front rank of our Rolette County list. Boissevain sits 12 miles from here and is the nearest stop. Shell Valley is 20 miles away, with Killarney at 20 miles. Rules here are straightforward: one county, one set of rules.

• Where to Fish on Bower Lake

  We hold no survey for this water; read the slope of the shoreline instead. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. County-wide records name bluegill, northern pike, white bass, yellow perch and johnny darter. Records at county level tell you what is around, not what is stocked here. At Bower Lake the first feature you find is worth twenty minutes.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Seasonal averages run from 1°F in January up to 65°F in July. The middle months are generous; the ends are demanding. The lid arrives early and lasts until roughly late April. Average temperatures cross freezing around late April in spring and again near mid November in autumn. The open run goes from the thaw to the freeze, and April through October covers most of it. It holds true on Bower Lake more years than not.

• Tackle & Baits

  The rules here are undocumented as far as public sources go. This is a natural basin, not a dammed one. There is camping recorded roughly 0.9 miles off. There are picnic tables recorded roughly half a mile off. Public toilets are recorded roughly half a mile off. State or provincial rules still apply whatever the bank status. Where tickets apply, they are sold in the nearest town rather than on the bank. The nearest alternative is Mary Lake, 1.1 miles out. What applies at Bower Lake may have changed since it was mapped.