Kilgore Lake Fishing Guide, Pierce County, North Dakota

• Overview

  The Pierce County entry here is Kilgore Lake, in North Dakota. Height above sea level is 1,486 feet. At 579 acres this is proper open water rather than a pond. The shoreline runs about 6.8 miles, so it pays to pick a stretch and stay with it. Rugby lies 16 miles from the water. Harvey is 29 miles away, with Velva at 37 miles. The nearest boundary is a fair way off.

• Where to Fish on Kilgore Lake

  We hold no survey for this water; read the slope of the shoreline instead. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. Kilgore Lake responds to conditions more than to tactics. Change spot before you change tackle.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The seasonal spread runs 6°F to 69°F. The season turns properly here, and fish follow it closely. Count the season from break-up, usually mid April. Averages suggest open water from about mid April through to roughly late November. Just after the ice goes and just before it returns, the fishing lifts. It sets the rhythm of the year at Kilgore Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  There is no clear statement anywhere on who can fish it. It formed naturally, so levels move with rainfall rather than with a gate. Nothing is mapped in the way of a ramp or car park within a short radius. Check locally before you travel, because a wasted drive is a long one. Check whether bait restrictions apply before you buy any. Stony Lake sits 0.7 miles off and takes the overflow. Treat Kilgore Lake as unsettled until someone local tells you otherwise.