Oskar Lake Fishing near Boissevain, North Dakota

• Overview

  Oskar Lake falls in Rolette County, part of North Dakota. The ground round it is mixed forest. Roughly 376 acres of surface: treat each bay as a water in its own right. The edge covers about 10 miles, enough to hold several distinct areas. Size puts it in the front rank of our Rolette County list. Boissevain at 15 miles is the nearest place to stop. It is 148 miles to Winnipeg, the nearest city. It lies deep inside the county rather than near an edge.

• Where to Fish on Oskar Lake

  Nothing we hold settles how deep this runs. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. County-wide records name bluegill, northern pike and white bass. These are county-wide records, so not all of them will be in this water. Read Oskar Lake for ten minutes before the first cast goes out.

• Seasonal Patterns

  In an average year July sits at 65°F and January at 1°F. Winter puts a hard lid on this one. Expect a solid lid for months and a thaw around late April. On the long-run averages the water opens up around late April and starts locking again about mid November. Fish feed hardest at the start and the close of the open season. The season on Oskar Lake rarely departs from it.

• Tackle & Baits

  We hold no note on access for this one. This is a natural basin, not a dammed one. Mapping shows a campsite some half a mile from the water. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. Bank access can be seasonal on ground like this. Fishing rules and camping rules are set separately here. For a change of water, South Oskar Lake is 0.5 miles distant. Treat access at Oskar Lake as something to verify.