Moon Lake Fishing near Valley City, North Dakota

• Overview

  Moon Lake sits within Barnes County in North Dakota. Land around it is rolling bush. The water covers some 94 acres, so pick a bank rather than trying to cover it all. Bank access stretches around 1.7 miles in total. Supplies mean a trip to Valley City, 8.6 miles off. Fargo sits 65 miles out, and it is the nearest city worth the name. There is no boundary nearby to worry about.

• Where to Fish on Moon Lake

  Depth went unrecorded, which puts the reading back on you. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. Across Barnes County, recorded fish include yellow perch, blackside darter, smallmouth bass and white sucker. County data is a starting point rather than a guarantee. On Moon Lake that means starting tight and working out.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Averages here run 69°F at the top of summer and 6°F at the bottom of winter. Expect a real winter and a strong spring after it. Break-up comes around mid April, and the run that follows is short and strong. Averages place the thaw at mid April and the freeze at late November. Fishing peaks soon after break-up and again before the cold returns. Moon Lake runs to its own calendar within the local pattern.

• Tackle & Baits

  The access position is unclear from public sources. This is a natural basin, not a dammed one. There is a slipway on the shore, half a mile from the water we list. Moon Lake Wildlife Management Area runs up to the bank here, which usually means extra restrictions. Season dates differ by species, so read the table. Some stretches are reserved and marked as such on the ground. For a change of water, Saint Marys Lake is 0.7 miles distant. Treat access at Moon Lake as something to verify.