Turtle Lake, North Dakota: Fishing Spots and Seasons

• Overview

  Turtle Lake sits within McLean County in North Dakota. What surrounds it is rolling bush. It measures some 954 acres, and wind has room to build across it. There is little indentation to the bank, so wind hits most of it the same way. It is among the larger waters listed here for McLean County. Washburn sits 17 miles from the bank. Then Garrison, 22 miles, and Hazen, 35 miles. The nearest edge is a long way off, so local rules apply throughout.

• Where to Fish on Turtle Lake

  No figure exists for depth, so let the water show you. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. Open biodiversity records for McLean County list bluegill, rainbow smelt, smallmouth bass, northern pike and walleye. The list covers the county rather than this water alone, so treat it as a guide. The shape of Turtle Lake decides where the fish sit.

• Seasonal Patterns

  In an average year July sits at 69°F and January at 9°F. A solid cap is the normal state through winter. Once it clears, about mid April, the fishing comes on quickly. The open-water window runs from around mid April to about late November in an average year. The weeks after the thaw and the ones before the freeze are the strongest. At Turtle Lake the season follows that pattern closely.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing in our records says who may fish here. It formed naturally, so levels move with rainfall rather than with a gate. No launch point is recorded nearby, so this is a bank water unless you carry a boat in. Largemouth respond to soft plastics tight to cover; go weedless where the growth is heavy. Rules for this water may differ from the county norm. Where tickets apply, they are sold in the nearest town rather than on the bank. The nearest alternative is Cherry Lake, 1.1 miles out. Check the current arrangement for Turtle Lake.