Heckers Lake in Sheridan County: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  In North Dakota, Heckers Lake belongs to Sheridan County. The country here is rolling bush. The water covers some 105 acres, so pick a bank rather than trying to cover it all. A shoreline of some 2.9 miles keeps the choices simple. You are 17 miles from Washburn. Fargo is the closest city, 185 miles away. The nearest boundary is a fair way off.

• Where to Fish on Heckers Lake

  Open data we checked carries no depth for this water. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. Across Sheridan County, recorded fish include largemouth bass, muskellunge, northern pike and rainbow trout. Protected fish appear in the records for this area, so treat the list as information, not an invitation. Fish Heckers Lake where the bottom changes rather than where it looks deep.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Typical July readings run about 69°F; by January the average is down near 8°F. A solid cap is the normal state through winter. Ice-out usually falls in mid April, and the weeks after it fish hardest. Break-up near mid April, freeze-up near late November: that is the shape of an average year. Right after break-up, and again as the nights sharpen, is when to go. That is the shape of the year on Heckers Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether the bank is open is not something our records settle. Records list it as a natural water body rather than an impoundment. No car park, ramp or path is recorded within easy reach of the shore. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. Sort the permit out before you load the car. Keep proof of licence with you rather than in the car. Failing this one, try Howells Lake, 13 miles away. Check the position at Heckers Lake before loading the car.