Fishing Fish Lake in Benson County, North Dakota

• Overview

  Fish Lake stands in Benson County, North Dakota. Elevation runs to 1,562 feet. With some 226 acres of water, there is room for a boat but no need of one. About 2.9 miles of bank, so nothing stays unexplored for long. Rugby lies 27 miles from the water. The nearest city of size is Fargo, 155 miles away. It lies deep inside the county rather than near an edge.

• Where to Fish on Fish Lake

  The records we hold are silent on depth, so plan to find it yourself. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. This is a lake, so the margins and the first drop matter most. Records held for Benson County cover black bullhead, white bass, northern pike, striped bass and tadpole madtom. Those are county-wide records, so not every one of them will be in this water. At Fish Lake the water rewards a slow, careful approach.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Between January at about 4°F and July at about 68°F, the water has a wide range to work through. Fishing here follows the temperature more than the calendar. Winter fishing happens on the ice here, with open water back around mid April. Ice usually gives way near mid April, and forms again about mid November. The open run goes from the thaw to the freeze, and April through October covers most of it. On Fish Lake the same rules apply, with local timing.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing we hold confirms whether access is permitted. Records list it as a natural water body rather than an impoundment. Mapping shows an empty shoreline: no ramp, no jetty, no marked entry. 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. Signs go up and come down, so check on the day. Mud Lake, 8.2 miles away, makes the obvious fallback. The position on Fish Lake is worth confirming on the day.