Cottonwood Lake Fishing in McLean County, North Dakota

• Overview

  This water sits in McLean County, North Dakota. It sits in pine and birch country. Surface area is around 211 acres, which gives you real water without needing a boat. With about 2.5 miles of edge, you can try several depths in one session. The closest town, Velva, is 17 miles distant. Surrey is 33 miles away, with Harvey at 35 miles. The county edge is within a short distance of the bank.

• Where to Fish on Cottonwood Lake

  No published figure covers depth, so learn it as you fish. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. McLean County records list bluegill, rainbow smelt and smallmouth bass among the fish reported. The list covers the county rather than this water alone, so treat it as a guide. Treat Cottonwood Lake as a water to read rather than to cover.

• Seasonal Patterns

  July is the warm end of the year here, averaging about 69°F, while January sits near 9°F. The middle months are generous; the ends are demanding. Winter locks it down, and mid April brings it back. Break-up sits around mid April on average, with the water closing again about late November. The shoulder weeks of the open season are the productive ones. The season on Cottonwood Lake rarely departs from it.

• Tackle & Baits

  Public data does not answer the access question here. This is a natural basin, not a dammed one. A launch point is recorded some half a mile off. Bass water: a Texas-rigged worm near cover, a spinnerbait when you need to cover ground. Gates get locked out of season on water like this. Signs go up and come down, so check on the day. Moesner Lake sits 8.3 miles off and takes the overflow. For Cottonwood Lake in particular, ask before you travel.