Stink Lake, North Dakota: Fishing Spots and Seasons

• Overview

  You will find Stink Lake in Emmons County, North Dakota. Around the bank it is rolling bush. At some 361 acres it is far too large to cover on foot in a day. Around 3.8 miles of bank, which is a long day on foot. 29 miles away sits Linton, the nearest town. After that come Lincoln at 37 miles and Bismarck at 42 miles. No boundary runs near, so the county rules hold throughout.

• Where to Fish on Stink Lake

  We hold no survey for this water; read the slope of the shoreline instead. Bays and points beat straight shoreline every time on water like this. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. Reported across Emmons County: northern pike. Those are county-wide records, so not every one of them will be in this water. Read Stink Lake for ten minutes before the first cast goes out.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Seasonal averages run from 7°F in January up to 70°F in July. Cold locks it up for a good stretch each year. Ice fishing carries the winter, and the water opens about mid April. Average temperatures cross freezing around mid April in spring and again near late November in autumn. Early summer and early autumn carry the open-water season. Plan around that when you fish Stink Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether you may fish here is not something records settle. This is a natural basin, not a dammed one. No built facilities appear in mapping around this water. For the pike, wire up and throw larger lures along the weed edges. Some banks are open only from a marked point. Night access is frequently treated as a separate matter. Should this one be busy, Goose Lake is 6.2 miles off. Check the position on Stink Lake before loading the car.