Fishing at Cherry Lake, Kidder County, North Dakota

• Overview

  This water sits in Kidder County, North Dakota. The country round it is mixed forest from end to end. It measures some 645 acres, and wind has room to build across it. Shoreline length is close to 4.3 miles, and each section fishes a little differently. Carrington is the closest place, 44 miles off. Fargo is the closest city, 146 miles away. One jurisdiction covers this water end to end.

• Where to Fish on Cherry Lake

  No figure exists for depth, so let the water show you. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. Across Kidder County, recorded fish include bluegill and northern pike. The county list is broader than any single water. The shape of Cherry Lake decides where the fish sit.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Averages move between 6°F in January and 70°F in July. Cold locks it up for a good stretch each year. Look for the thaw near mid April; the fishing lifts straight after. On the long-run averages the water opens up around mid April and starts locking again about late November. Just after the ice goes and just before it returns, the fishing lifts. Cherry Lake fishes to that pattern most years.

• Tackle & Baits

  Public sources are silent on who controls the bank. No dam controls it, and the level follows the season. A boat ramp sits half a mile away, so trailered boats can get on. For the pike, wire up and throw larger lures along the weed edges. Ask in the nearest town if you are unsure. Where tickets apply, they are sold in the nearest town rather than on the bank. Horsehead Lake, 4.1 miles away, makes the obvious fallback. For Cherry Lake, the notice at the access point is the final word.