Mill Lake in Rolette County: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Mill Lake lies in Rolette County, North Dakota. The bank is 2,129 feet above sea level. The water covers some 100 acres, so pick a bank rather than trying to cover it all. Belcourt is the closest town at 7.5 miles. Shell Valley is 10 miles away, with Rolla at 10 miles. The county line is nowhere near, so one local authority covers the water.

• Where to Fish on Mill Lake

  Depth went unrecorded, which puts the reading back on you. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. Fish documented in Rolette County include bluegill, northern pike, white bass and yellow perch. Those are county-wide records, so not every one of them will be in this water. On Mill Lake a short move beats a long cast.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The seasonal spread runs 1°F to 65°F. Cold locks it up for a good stretch each year. Winter locks it down, and late April brings it back. The season between ice runs from about late April to mid November. The strongest runs come at either end of the open season. On Mill Lake that shapes the whole year.

• Tackle & Baits

  No public source sets out the position on this bank. Access is unmapped, which usually means a farm track and a walk. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. Check locally before you travel, because a wasted drive is a long one. Where the way in crosses private ground, ask first. Long Lake at 0.9 miles is the sensible second choice. Where Mill Lake is concerned, a local answer beats a written one.