Fishing Peterson Lake in McLean County, North Dakota

• Overview

  You will find Peterson Lake in McLean County, North Dakota. The setting is mixed forest on every side. At 576 acres this is proper open water rather than a pond. Around 7.1 miles of bank, which is a long day on foot. Supplies mean a trip to Washburn, 20 miles off. Garrison is 30 miles and Velva 37 miles. Nearby, in order: Lake Williams (1.4 miles), Pelican Lake sits 1.7 miles out, Blue Lake (2.5 miles), Lake Holmes sits 3.2 miles out and Brush Lake (3.6 miles). No border sits close enough to matter.

• Where to Fish on Peterson Lake

  The records we hold are silent on depth, so plan to find it yourself. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. Reported across McLean County: bluegill, rainbow smelt and smallmouth bass. Records at county level tell you what is around, not what is stocked here. Read Peterson Lake before you fish it and the day goes better.

• Seasonal Patterns

  On the long-term average, July reads 69°F and January reads 8°F. Winter shuts the surface down for months. Winter fishing happens on the ice here, with open water back around mid April. The lid tends to go about mid April and return around late November. The strongest runs come at either end of the open season. Peterson Lake runs to that rhythm year in and year out.

• Tackle & Baits

  Public sources are silent on who controls the bank. Records list it as a natural water body rather than an impoundment. Mapping records no facilities at all near this water. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. Where a permit is needed, the nearest town usually sells it. Where tickets apply, they are sold in the nearest town rather than on the bank. Should this one be busy, Lake Williams is 1.4 miles off. Confirm before you fish Peterson Lake.