Cassidy Lake, North Dakota: Fishing Spots and Seasons

• Overview

  Set in Rolette County, Cassidy Lake is a North Dakota water. The ground round it is pine and birch. At about 80 acres, a day is enough to walk the shoreline properly. Bank access stretches around 1.8 miles in total. Bottineau lies 10 miles from the water. It is 155 miles to Winnipeg, the nearest city. One jurisdiction covers this water end to end.

• Where to Fish on Cassidy Lake

  Our records carry no depth, so judge it from the bank. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. County-wide records name bluegill, northern pike and white bass. What holds for the county may not hold for this water. Anyone new to Cassidy Lake should walk it once before setting up.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Typical July readings run about 66°F; by January the average is down near 1°F. Four clear seasons, with a proper winter at one end. Ice-out usually falls in late April, and the weeks after it fish hardest. Climate averages put the opening at about late April and the closing near mid November. The open run goes from the thaw to the freeze, and April through October covers most of it. Plan around that when you fish Cassidy Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  We hold no note on access for this one. This is a natural basin, not a dammed one. Access is unmapped, which usually means a farm track and a walk. Bass water: a Texas-rigged worm near cover, a spinnerbait when you need to cover ground. Where access is informal, keep it that way by behaving. Close seasons apply to some species and not others. Failing this one, try Grass Lake, 1 mile away. For Cassidy Lake in particular, ask before you travel.