Rose Lake Fishing in Nelson County, North Dakota

• Overview

  The Nelson County entry here is Rose Lake, in North Dakota. It lies 1,499 feet above sea level. It runs to roughly 103 acres — big enough to hold fish away from the bank, small enough to learn. There is roughly 2.5 miles of shoreline here, which is a short walk end to end. 27 miles away sits Larimore, the nearest town. The big place round here is Fargo, 103 miles distant. The county line is nowhere near, so one local authority covers the water.

• Where to Fish on Rose Lake

  Depth is unknown to us, and the shoreline is the better guide. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. Bays and points beat straight shoreline every time on water like this. County-wide records name largemouth bass, northern pike, yellow perch, bluegill and brown bullhead. What holds for the county may not hold for this water. The near bank of Rose Lake is often the one people ignore.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The year swings from about 3°F in January to roughly 68°F in July. Cold winters and warm summers give a wide working range. Winter fishing happens on the ice here, with open water back around mid April. Climate averages put the opening at about mid April and the closing near mid November. June through September is the settled part of the year, with the shoulders busier for fish. On Rose Lake the same rules apply, with local timing.

• Tackle & Baits

  Access status is simply unknown for this water. 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. Largemouth respond to soft plastics tight to cover; go weedless where the growth is heavy. Check locally before you travel, because a wasted drive is a long one. Where parking is tight, arriving early solves most problems. Should this one be busy, Lake Mary is 0.7 miles off. Treat access at Rose Lake as something to verify.