Fishing at Mannie Lake, Nelson County, North Dakota

• Overview

  Mannie Lake is a Nelson County water, in North Dakota. The bank is 1,430 feet above sea level. The water covers some 115 acres, so pick a bank rather than trying to cover it all. The bank runs about 1.6 miles all the way round, so one visit can cover most of it. The nearest town is Fort Totten, 35 miles away. New Rockford is 36 miles and Devils Lake 37 miles. The nearest boundary is well away, so one set of rules covers the water.

• Where to Fish on Mannie Lake

  We hold no depth figure for this one. Bays and points beat straight shoreline every time on water like this. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. Nelson County records list largemouth bass, northern pike, yellow perch and bluegill among the fish reported. It is the county picture; the agency list is water-specific. On Mannie Lake a short move beats a long cast.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The year swings from about 4°F in January to roughly 68°F in July. Winter shuts the surface down for months. Hard water holds through the cold months, breaking up near mid April. The water is typically free of ice between mid April and mid November. June through September is the settled part of the year, with the shoulders busier for fish. The season on Mannie Lake follows the weather closely.

• Tackle & Baits

  The paperwork position is blank for this one. It formed naturally, so levels move with rainfall rather than with a gate. Access is unmapped, which usually means a farm track and a walk. Bass water: a Texas-rigged worm near cover, a spinnerbait when you need to cover ground. Gates get locked out of season on water like this. Keep proof of licence with you rather than in the car. Basswood Lake sits 1.4 miles off and takes the overflow. Nothing on Mannie Lake should be assumed from this page alone.