Ranch Lake near Rugby: Fishing Spots, Seasons and Access

• Overview

  Ranch Lake is a Pierce County water, North Dakota side. Height above sea level is 1,486 feet. Roughly 124 acres: a morning covers one end, an afternoon the other. The full circuit measures close to 1.7 miles on foot. On size it sits at the modest end of our Pierce County list. Some 16 miles away sits Rugby, the nearest settlement. For a city, Fargo is 177 miles off. No border sits close enough to matter.

• Where to Fish on Ranch Lake

  Nothing in our records gives a depth for this one. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. Ranch Lake repays a walk before the first cast. Watch where fish top and note the time of day.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Averages move between 6°F in January and 69°F in July. A solid cap is the normal state through winter. After mid April the shallows warm and the fish move up. Open water usually runs from mid April until about late November. Reckon on open water from spring through to late autumn, with May and June the strongest. It sets the rhythm of the year at Ranch Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing in our records says who may fish here. Records list it as a natural water body rather than an impoundment. Boat access is recorded roughly half a mile away. Some banks are open only from a marked point. Rules for boats are stricter than rules for the bank in many places. Failing this one, try Davis Lake, 1.1 miles away. Nothing on Ranch Lake should be assumed from this page alone.