Gatten Lake Fishing Guide, Rolette County, North Dakota

• Overview

  North Dakota holds Gatten Lake, in Rolette County. It lies 2,182 feet above sea level. The water covers some 48 acres, so pick a bank rather than trying to cover it all. With about 1.2 miles of edge, you can try several depths in one session. Nearest place of any size is Bottineau, 17 miles away. Winnipeg sits 149 miles out, and it is the nearest city worth the name. The nearest boundary is a fair way off.

• Where to Fish on Gatten Lake

  Depth is unmeasured here, so let the shoreline guide you. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. Survey and observation records for Rolette County include bluegill, northern pike and white bass. County records show what lives in the area; the local agency holds the water-by-water list. Fish Gatten Lake to its features, not to its size.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Seasonal averages run from 1°F in January up to 65°F in July. A solid cap is the normal state through winter. Ice-out usually falls in late April, and the weeks after it fish hardest. In an average year the thaw lands around late April and the freeze near mid November. Just after the ice goes and just before it returns, the fishing lifts. Anyone fishing Gatten Lake regularly works to that calendar.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing we hold confirms whether access is permitted. Records list it as a natural water body rather than an impoundment. Rabb Lake Wildlife Management Area covers ground next to the water; its rules will apply on that side. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. Check whether a boat is allowed before you tow one. Where the way in crosses private ground, ask first. The nearest alternative is Hartley Lake, 1.7 miles out. Rules at Gatten Lake are worth checking on the day.