Ottofy Lake Fishing in Nelson County, North Dakota

• Overview

  Ottofy Lake is one of the Nelson County listings for North Dakota. Everything around it is pine and birch. It measures about 50 acres, which is a comfortable size for bank fishing. With about 1.0 miles of edge, you can try several depths in one session. The closest town, Fort Totten, is 33 miles away. Fargo sits 96 miles out, and it is the nearest city worth the name. The nearest boundary is a fair way off.

• Where to Fish on Ottofy Lake

  Depth figures are not published for this one. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. Open biodiversity records for Nelson County list largemouth bass, northern pike and yellow perch. County records show the wider picture rather than this one place. Ottofy Lake responds to conditions more than to tactics.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Average temperature peaks around 68°F in July and bottoms out near 4°F in January. Winter shuts the surface down for months. The lid usually goes in mid April, which opens the strongest weeks of the year. Averages place the thaw at mid April and the freeze at mid November. The middle of summer slows a little, with dawn and dusk carrying it. Ottofy Lake runs to that rhythm year in and year out.

• Tackle & Baits

  The access position is unclear from public sources. It formed naturally, so levels move with rainfall rather than with a gate. Nothing is listed nearby for parking or launching a boat. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. A phone call first saves an afternoon. Some stretches are reserved and marked as such on the ground. If the gate is shut, Mannie Lake at 3.2 miles is the nearest alternative. Treat access at Ottofy Lake as something to verify.