Trautman Slough Fishing in Stutsman County, North Dakota

• Overview

  In North Dakota, Trautman Slough belongs to Stutsman County. The bank is 1,768 feet above sea level. About 309 acres, so local knowledge or a boat saves a lot of walking. About 2.9 miles of bank, so nothing stays unexplored for long. It is one of the smaller waters we list in Stutsman County. Jamestown is the closest town at 23 miles. Then Carrington, 43 miles, and Valley City, 56 miles. One jurisdiction covers this water end to end.

• Where to Fish on Trautman Slough

  There is no recorded depth, so work from what you can see. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. Stutsman County records list Iowa darter, pikeperch and black bullhead among the fish reported. These are county-wide records, so not all of them will be in this water. Anyone new to Trautman Slough should walk it once before setting up.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Climate normals give 70°F for July and 8°F for January. Expect a real winter and a strong spring after it. Winter fishing happens on the ice here, with open water back around mid April. Ice clears near mid April and comes back about late November in a typical year. The weeks after the thaw and the ones before the freeze are the strongest. That is the shape of the year on Trautman Slough.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing on record says whether the bank is open or closed. Records list it as a natural water body rather than an impoundment. There is no mapped parking or launch close by, which usually means walking in. A wire trace and a big bright lure handle the pike; deep water asks for a heavier spoon. Rules for this water may differ from the county norm. Access can change hands, so last year's answer may not hold. Failing this one, try Runner Slough, 4.3 miles away. For Trautman Slough, the notice at the access point is the final word.