Fishing Lake Taylor in Bottineau County, North Dakota

• Overview

  Lake Taylor is one of the Bottineau County listings for North Dakota. The bank is 2,231 feet above sea level. Around 31 acres of surface means several distinct areas to work. It sits higher than most water we list in North Dakota. The nearest place of any size is Bottineau, 7.3 miles away. Deloraine follows at 18 miles, then Boissevain at 28 miles. No boundary runs near, so the county rules hold throughout.

• Where to Fish on Lake Taylor

  No published figure covers depth, so learn it as you fish. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. Bays and points beat straight shoreline every time on water like this. Records held for Bottineau County cover bluegill, brown bullhead, northern pike, smallmouth bass and yellow perch. What holds for the county may not hold for this water. Work Lake Taylor in sections rather than trying to cover it.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Between January at about 2°F and July at about 65°F, the water has a wide range to work through. Expect a real winter and a strong spring after it. The lid usually goes in late April, which opens the strongest weeks of the year. Average temperatures cross freezing around late April in spring and again near mid November in autumn. September and October fish steadily right up to the freeze. Plan around that when you fish Lake Taylor.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether you may fish here is not something records settle. Nothing built is recorded close to the bank here. Largemouth respond to soft plastics tight to cover; go weedless where the growth is heavy. Read any posted signs at the access point rather than assuming. Barbless rules turn up on managed water more often than not. For a change of water, Long Lake is 1.1 miles distant. Signs at Lake Taylor carry more weight than any list.