Lake Nine Fishing near Deloraine, North Dakota

• Overview

  Look for Lake Nine in Bottineau County, North Dakota. Land around it is mixed forest. About 11 acres of surface, which puts the far bank inside easy sight. There is roughly 1.1 miles of shoreline here, which is a short walk end to end. It is one of the smaller waters we list in Bottineau County. Deloraine sits 12 miles from the bank. Winnipeg sits 162 miles out, and it is the nearest city worth the name. It sits well inside its county, with no border complications.

• Where to Fish on Lake Nine

  Depth is unknown to us, and the shoreline is the better guide. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. Open biodiversity records for Bottineau County list bluegill, brown bullhead and northern pike. It is the county picture; the agency list is water-specific. Fish Lake Nine where the bottom changes rather than where it looks deep.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Temperature averages peak at 65°F in July and bottom out at 2°F in January. Expect a real winter and a strong spring after it. Firm cover through the cold months, then open water from late April. Ice usually gives way near late April, and forms again about mid November. Spring is short and heavy here; autumn is longer and steadier. On Lake Nine that shapes the whole year.

• Tackle & Baits

  The rules here are undocumented as far as public sources go. No dam controls it, and the level follows the season. Access points are not mapped for this water, which suits people who like quiet. Largemouth respond to soft plastics tight to cover; go weedless where the growth is heavy. Look for a notice board at the entrance. A polite question at the farm gate opens more banks than anything else. Should this one be busy, Stanley Lake is 0.6 miles off. Ask locally about Lake Nine if anything is unclear.