Jones Lake, North Dakota: Fishing Spots and Seasons

• Overview

  Jones Lake sits in Ramsey County, out in North Dakota. Height above sea level is 1,490 feet. It runs to roughly 191 acres — big enough to hold fish away from the bank, small enough to learn. Around 3.8 miles of bank, which is a long day on foot. Nearest town is Devils Lake, 23 miles off. Fargo is the closest city, 109 miles away. Local rules may differ a few miles either side of here.

• Where to Fish on Jones Lake

  Depth here is unknown, so count the lead down before committing. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. Records held for Ramsey County cover white bass, striped bass, walleye and muskellunge. The list covers the county rather than this water alone, so treat it as a guide. Jones Lake responds to conditions more than to tactics.

• Seasonal Patterns

  In an average year July sits at 68°F and January at 4°F. The year runs cold to warm and back, with clear transitions. Hard cover is dependable here; it goes around mid April. Ice usually gives way near mid April, and forms again about mid November. Fish feed hardest at the start and the close of the open season. It sets the rhythm of the year at Jones Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing we hold confirms whether access is permitted. This is a natural basin, not a dammed one. Access points are not mapped for this water, which suits people who like quiet. Bass water: a Texas-rigged worm near cover, a spinnerbait when you need to cover ground. Where the road in crosses private land, ask first. Fishing rules and camping rules are set separately here. For a change of water, Coon Lake is 3.4 miles distant. None of that is settled for Jones Lake in what we hold.