McLeod in Williams County: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  You will find McLeod in Williams County, North Dakota. The country round it is pine and birch from end to end. Compared with other North Dakota water on our list, it sits high. Tioga lies 11 miles from the water. For a city, Regina is 160 miles off. Within easy reach: Epping Dam a shade over 12 miles, Blacktail Lake after 27 miles, Lake Zahl a shade over 27 miles, Powers Lake after 29 miles and Smishek Lake a shade over 31 miles. The county line is nowhere near, so one local authority covers the water.

• Where to Fish on McLeod

  No depth figure appears in our records, so the bank has to tell you. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. Fish documented in Williams County include northern pike, Iowa darter, black bullhead, bluegill and tadpole madtom. What holds for the county may not hold for this water. McLeod responds to conditions more than to tactics.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Seasonal averages run from 7°F in January up to 67°F in July. Winter closes the water for a while, and the reopening is worth catching. The open season starts with the thaw, near enough mid April. The lid tends to go about mid April and return around mid November. Late spring and early autumn carry the year between them. That shapes the year on McLeod.

• Tackle & Baits

  Ownership and access are not documented in what we hold. You can launch from a ramp around 50 yards away. A carry of half a mile from the nearest parking is the price of fishing here. Fishing from a pier is possible 40 yards away. For the pike, wire up and throw larger lures along the weed edges. Check whether a boat is allowed before you tow one. Fishing rules and camping rules are set separately here. Should this one be busy, Epping Dam is 12 miles off. Check the position at McLeod before loading the car.