Fishing Cottonwood Lake in Burleigh County, North Dakota

• Overview

  Cottonwood Lake belongs to Burleigh County, North Dakota. Elevation runs to 1,808 feet. It measures about 121 acres, which is a comfortable size for bank fishing. About 2.3 miles of bank, so nothing stays unexplored for long. Lincoln sits 26 miles from the bank. Then Bismarck, 29 miles, and Mandan, 34 miles. The nearest edge is a long way off, so local rules apply throughout.

• Where to Fish on Cottonwood Lake

  Our records carry no depth, so judge it from the bank. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. 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. Cottonwood Lake repays a walk before the first cast.

• Seasonal Patterns

  In an average year July sits at 70°F and January at 7°F. The season turns properly here, and fish follow it closely. The freeze runs deep into the year, with break-up near mid April. Expect the water usable from around mid April until roughly late November. September and October fish steadily right up to the freeze. It sets the rhythm of the year at Cottonwood Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether you may fish here is not something records settle. It formed naturally, so levels move with rainfall rather than with a gate. Nothing built is recorded close to the bank here. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. Where the road in crosses private land, ask first. Some ground is open by custom rather than by right, so tread carefully. Sterling Reservoir, 6.5 miles away, makes the obvious fallback. None of that is settled for Cottonwood Lake in what we hold.