Byrnes Lake near Belcourt: Fishing Spots, Seasons and Access

• Overview

  Byrnes Lake lies in Rolette County, North Dakota. The water sits 2,044 feet up. Surface area is around 57 acres, which gives you real water without needing a boat. The full circuit measures close to 1.3 miles on foot. Belcourt at 6 miles is the nearest place to stop. Rolla lies 7.3 miles off, Shell Valley another 11 miles. It sits well inside its county, with no border complications.

• Where to Fish on Byrnes Lake

  Depth figures are not published for this one. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. Public occurrence data for Rolette County names bluegill, northern pike, white bass and yellow perch. Read it as a county summary, not a water-by-water list. Byrnes Lake fishes better once you know its edges.

• Seasonal Patterns

  July runs about 65°F on average, January about 2°F. Hard water is a season in its own right here. The freeze runs deep into the year, with break-up near late April. On the long-run averages the water opens up around late April and starts locking again about mid November. The middle of summer slows a little, with dawn and dusk carrying it. Byrnes Lake fishes to that pattern most years.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether the bank is open is not something our records settle. No dam controls it, and the level follows the season. No built facilities appear in mapping around this water. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. Ask in the nearest town if you are unsure. Night access is frequently treated as a separate matter. Gordon Lake at 1.9 miles is the sensible second choice. Nothing on Byrnes Lake should be assumed from this page alone.