Elbow Lake, North Dakota: Fishing Spots and Seasons

• Overview

  North Dakota holds Elbow Lake, in Benson County. It lies 1,447 feet above sea level. It runs to roughly 178 acres — big enough to hold fish away from the bank, small enough to learn. There is roughly 2.6 miles of shoreline here, which is a short walk end to end. Fort Totten sits 13 miles from here and is the nearest stop. Fargo is the closest city, 116 miles away. It sits well inside the county, so one set of rules covers it.

• Where to Fish on Elbow 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. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. Survey and observation records for Benson County include black bullhead, white bass, northern pike, striped bass and tadpole madtom. County records show what lives in the area; the local agency holds the water-by-water list. Fish Elbow Lake where the bottom changes rather than where it looks deep.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Average temperature peaks around 69°F in July and bottoms out near 5°F in January. Fishing here follows the temperature more than the calendar. The freeze runs deep into the year, with break-up near mid April. In an average year the thaw lands around mid April and the freeze near mid November. Fish feed hardest at the start and the close of the open season. At Elbow Lake the season follows that pattern closely.

• Tackle & Baits

  Ownership and access are not documented in what we hold. Records list it as a natural water body rather than an impoundment. No slipway, car park or made path shows up nearby in mapping, so treat access as rough. Take the rules with you rather than trusting memory. Some stretches are reserved and marked as such on the ground. Free Peoples Lake, 0.9 miles away, makes the obvious fallback. Rules at Elbow Lake are worth checking on the day.