Fishing Shoofly Lake in Rolette County, North Dakota

• Overview

  Set in Rolette County, North Dakota, this is Shoofly Lake. It sits in pine and birch country. This is a pocket water of some 14 acres, and every part of it is reachable from the bank. The bank runs about 0.9 miles all the way round, so one visit can cover most of it. Most waters listed here for Rolette County are larger. Some 14 miles away sits Boissevain, the nearest settlement. The big place round here is Winnipeg, 143 miles distant. One jurisdiction covers this water end to end.

• Where to Fish on Shoofly Lake

  Depth here is unknown, so count the lead down before committing. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. Across Rolette County, recorded fish include bluegill, northern pike, white bass and yellow perch. County records show what lives in the area; the local agency holds the water-by-water list. On Shoofly Lake the obvious spot is not always the productive one.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Temperature averages peak at 65°F in July and bottom out at 1°F in January. The year splits cleanly: hard water, then open water. Firm cover through the cold months, then open water from late April. The water is typically free of ice between late April and mid November. Late spring and early autumn carry the year between them. Plan around that when you fish Shoofly Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing we hold confirms whether access is permitted. This is a natural basin, not a dammed one. A campsite is mapped about half a mile away, which makes an early start easier. Toilets show in mapping about half a mile away. Bass water: a Texas-rigged worm near cover, a spinnerbait when you need to cover ground. Where the road in crosses private land, ask first. Rules for boats are stricter than rules for the bank in many places. Adam Lake, 0.9 miles away, makes the obvious fallback. The position on Shoofly Lake is worth confirming on the day.