Cottonwood Lake in Burleigh County: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Set in Burleigh County, Cottonwood Lake is a North Dakota water. What surrounds it is rolling bush. The water measures roughly 8 acres, so nothing here is far from anything else. Most waters listed here for Burleigh County are larger. The closest town, Bismarck, is 2.1 miles distant. The nearest city of size is Fargo, 189 miles away. Two sets of local rules meet not far from this water.

• Where to Fish on Cottonwood Lake

  Depth figures are not published for this one. This is a lake, so the margins and the first drop matter most. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. Species logged across Burleigh County include bluegill, northern pike, common carp, largemouth bass and walleye. Species recorded across the county may be limited to a few waters. Read Cottonwood Lake before you fish it and the day goes better.

• Seasonal Patterns

  In an average year July sits at 71°F and January at 10°F. Spring and autumn carry the fishing; summer and winter test it. After mid April the shallows warm and the fish move up. The lid tends to go about mid April and return around late November. Early summer and early autumn carry the open-water season. Cottonwood Lake fishes to that pattern most years.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether you may fish here is not something records settle. A parking area is marked roughly half a mile out. 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. Where tickets apply, they are sold in the nearest town rather than on the bank. Should this one be busy, Crown Butte Lake is 16 miles off. Nothing on Cottonwood Lake should be assumed from this page alone.