Lake Ordway, North Dakota: Fishing Spots and Seasons

• Overview

  This water sits in McLean County, North Dakota. The water sits 1,808 feet up. At some 286 acres it is far too large to cover on foot in a day. The margin runs to about 4.8 miles in total. Washburn at 15 miles is the nearest place to stop. After that come Garrison at 24 miles and Hazen at 35 miles. There is no boundary nearby to worry about.

• Where to Fish on Lake Ordway

  Depth is unknown to us, and the shoreline is the better guide. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. Public occurrence data for McLean County names bluegill, rainbow smelt, smallmouth bass and northern pike. The county list is broader than any single water. On Lake Ordway the quiet end is the one worth the extra effort.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Temperature averages peak at 69°F in July and bottom out at 9°F in January. A full turn of seasons, with the strongest sport on either side of summer. Look for the thaw near mid April; the fishing lifts straight after. Ice clears near mid April and comes back about late November in a typical year. The open run goes from the thaw to the freeze, and April through October covers most of it. Time your trip to Lake Ordway by conditions rather than dates.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing in our records says who may fish here. This is a natural basin, not a dammed one. We find no slipway, car park or made path within a short radius, so treat access as rough. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. Take the rules with you rather than trusting memory. Where parking is tight, arriving early solves most problems. Hanson Slough, 1.6 miles away, makes the obvious fallback. Ask locally about Lake Ordway if anything is unclear.