Fishing Lake Bessie in Bottineau County, North Dakota

• Overview

  In North Dakota, Lake Bessie belongs to Bottineau County. Height above sea level is 2,136 feet. Around 37 acres of surface means several distinct areas to work. Bottineau at 9.2 miles is the nearest place to stop. The nearest city of size is Winnipeg, 158 miles away. Others within reach: Mud Lake 1 mile off, Lake Bennett roughly 1.8 miles, Metigoshe Lake 2.1 miles off, Duck Lake roughly 2.2 miles and Loon Lake 2.6 miles off. The nearest boundary is a fair way off.

• Where to Fish on Lake Bessie

  There is no recorded depth, so work from what you can see. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. This is a lake, so the margins and the first drop matter most. Fish documented in Bottineau County include bluegill, brown bullhead, northern pike and smallmouth bass. Take it as the county picture rather than a promise for this water. Fish Lake Bessie where the bottom changes rather than where it looks deep.

• Seasonal Patterns

  July runs about 65°F on average, January about 2°F. A hard winter is normal, and the thaw brings a strong few weeks. Ice is part of the season here, ending near late April. Average temperatures cross freezing around late April in spring and again near mid November in autumn. May into June fishes hardest, and September gives a second good stretch before the lid returns. That shapes the year on Lake Bessie.

• Tackle & Baits

  The access position is unclear from public sources. We find no slipway, car park or made path within a short radius, so treat access as rough. Bass water: a Texas-rigged worm near cover, a spinnerbait when you need to cover ground. Bank access can be seasonal on ground like this. Signs go up and come down, so check on the day. For a change of water, Mud Lake is 1 mile distant. What applies at Lake Bessie may have changed since it was mapped.