Fishing at Stink Lake, Ramsey County, North Dakota

• Overview

  Stink Lake is a Ramsey County water, in North Dakota. The water sits 1,427 feet up. The water covers around 656 acres, which puts most of it out of reach from the bank. The edge covers about 7.5 miles, enough to hold several distinct areas. Head to Cando, 17 miles away, for anything you forgot. Winnipeg sits 148 miles out, and it is the nearest city worth the name. You are close to a county edge here; who manages the access can change within a short drive.

• Where to Fish on Stink Lake

  There is no published depth for this one, so start shallow and work out. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. Reported across Ramsey County: white bass, striped bass, walleye, muskellunge and northern pike. County data is a starting point rather than a guarantee. On Stink Lake the obvious spot is not always the productive one.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Temperature averages peak at 68°F in July and bottom out at 5°F in January. Fishing here follows the temperature more than the calendar. Ice fishing carries the winter, and the water opens about mid April. Average temperatures cross freezing around mid April in spring and again near mid November in autumn. From the thaw to midsummer the fishing improves week by week. That shapes the year on Stink Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing in our records says who may fish here. Records list it as a natural water body rather than an impoundment. Access is unmapped, which usually means a farm track and a walk. Largemouth respond to soft plastics tight to cover; go weedless where the growth is heavy. State or provincial rules still apply whatever the bank status. Signs go up and come down, so check on the day. Silver Lake, 3.6 miles away, makes the obvious fallback. Check the position on Stink Lake before loading the car.