Fishing at Long Lake, Rolette County, North Dakota

• Overview

  This water sits in Rolette County, North Dakota. The bank is 2,231 feet above sea level. The water covers some 56 acres, so pick a bank rather than trying to cover it all. The full circuit measures close to 1.7 miles on foot. It sits higher than most water we list in North Dakota. Shell Valley at 12 miles is the nearest place to stop. It is 145 miles to Winnipeg, the nearest city. There is no boundary nearby to worry about.

• Where to Fish on Long Lake

  Without a survey to go on, judge depth from how the bank falls away. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. Public occurrence data for Rolette County names bluegill, northern pike and white bass. County records show the wider picture rather than this one place. Read Long Lake for ten minutes before the first cast goes out.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Averages move between 0°F in January and 65°F in July. A hard winter is normal, and the thaw brings a strong few weeks. Once it clears, about late April, the fishing comes on quickly. Expect the water usable from around late April until roughly mid November. Reckon on open water from spring through to late autumn, with May and June the strongest. Time your trip to Long Lake by conditions rather than dates.

• 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. No made access is recorded, so a short walk in is the likely arrangement. Largemouth respond to soft plastics tight to cover; go weedless where the growth is heavy. Where a permit is needed, the nearest town usually sells it. Close seasons apply to some species and not others. Lockhart Lake sits 1.2 miles off and takes the overflow. Signs at Long Lake carry more weight than any list.