Crooked Lake near Garrison: Fishing Spots, Seasons and Access

• Overview

  Crooked Lake is one of the McLean County listings for North Dakota. The surface lies 1,827 feet up. The water covers around 546 acres, which puts most of it out of reach from the bank. The edge covers about 5.0 miles, enough to hold several distinct areas. 18 miles away sits Garrison, the nearest town. Fargo sits 206 miles out, and it is the nearest city worth the name. Rules here are straightforward: one county, one set of rules.

• Where to Fish on Crooked Lake

  Open data we checked carries no depth for this water. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. Bays and points beat straight shoreline every time on water like this. Records held for McLean County cover bluegill, rainbow smelt, smallmouth bass and northern pike. The list covers the county rather than this water alone, so treat it as a guide. Crooked Lake repays a walk before the first cast.

• Seasonal Patterns

  July is the warm end of the year here, averaging about 68°F, while January sits near 9°F. A full turn of seasons, with the strongest sport on either side of summer. Ice-out usually falls in mid April, and the weeks after it fish hardest. Expect the water usable from around mid April until roughly late November. The strong weeks are the first after break-up and the last before the freeze. It sets the rhythm of the year at Crooked Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  Public sources are silent on who controls the bank. Records list it as a natural water body rather than an impoundment. Mapping records no facilities at all near this water. Largemouth respond to soft plastics tight to cover; go weedless where the growth is heavy. A landowner's word beats anything printed elsewhere. Fishing rules and camping rules are set separately here. Failing this one, try Lake Nettie, 1.1 miles away. For Crooked Lake, the notice at the access point is the final word.