Pound Lake near Rolla: Fishing Spots, Seasons and Access

• Overview

  Towner County, North Dakota, is where Pound Lake sits. The ground round it is pine and birch. At about 50 acres, a day is enough to walk the shoreline properly. The whole outline is near 3.0 miles, and most of it is walkable. On size it sits at the modest end of our Towner County list. Nearest place of any size is Rolla, 14 miles away. For a city, Winnipeg is 118 miles off. It sits well inside its county, with no border complications.

• Where to Fish on Pound Lake

  Depth went unrecorded, which puts the reading back on you. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. County-wide records name northern pike and fathead minnow. The county list is broader than any single water. On Pound Lake the quiet end is the one worth the extra effort.

• Seasonal Patterns

  On the long-term average, July reads 66°F and January reads 4°F. Cold locks it up for a good stretch each year. Expect a solid lid for months and a thaw around late April. The lid tends to go about late April and return around mid November. The weeks after the thaw and the ones before the freeze are the strongest. Time your trip to Pound Lake by conditions rather than dates.

• Tackle & Baits

  Public sources are silent on who controls the bank. No dam controls it, and the level follows the season. We find no slipway, car park or made path within a short radius, so treat access as rough. A wire trace and a big bright lure handle the pike; deep water asks for a heavier spoon. Bank access can be seasonal on ground like this. Where the way in crosses private ground, ask first. Failing this one, try Moore Lake, 2.8 miles away. Check the position on Pound Lake before loading the car.