Buffalo Lodge Lake near Surrey: Fishing Spots, Seasons and Access

• Overview

  Set in McHenry County, North Dakota, this is Buffalo Lodge Lake. The ground around here is rolling bush. It measures some 1,212 acres, and wind has room to build across it. The outline measures near 8.0 miles, so local knowledge counts. It is the biggest water on our McHenry County list. Surrey is the closest town at 18 miles. After that come Velva at 20 miles and Minot at 26 miles. No county line comes close, which keeps the paperwork simple.

• Where to Fish on Buffalo Lodge Lake

  No chart reached our records; the first cast is your sounding. This is a lake, so the margins and the first drop matter most. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. Public occurrence data for McHenry County names white sucker, bluegill, largemouth bass and northern pike. These are county-wide records, so not all of them will be in this water. Buffalo Lodge Lake fishes better once you know its edges.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The year swings from about 6°F in January to roughly 69°F in July. Cold winters and warm summers give a wide working range. Once it clears, about mid April, the fishing comes on quickly. The lid tends to go about mid April and return around late November. The shoulder weeks of the open season are the productive ones. That is the shape of the year on Buffalo Lodge Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  We have no record of the rules that apply on this bank. Records list it as a natural water body rather than an impoundment. Launching is possible: a slipway lies half a mile off. There is a campsite half a mile from the water. A toilet block sits half a mile away. Parking is often the real limit rather than the bank itself. Where the way in crosses private ground, ask first. Rock Lake sits 1.6 miles off and takes the overflow. For Buffalo Lodge Lake, the notice at the access point is the final word.