Ward Lake Fishing near Kenmare, North Dakota

• Overview

  Look for Ward Lake in the Burke County part of North Dakota. The ground around here is rolling bush. It runs to roughly 55 acres — big enough to hold fish away from the bank, small enough to learn. Shoreline comes to about 2.1 miles, small enough to learn in a day. Most waters listed here for Burke County are larger. The closest town, Kenmare, is 18 miles distant. Stanley lies 27 miles off, Tioga another 30 miles. One jurisdiction covers this water end to end.

• Where to Fish on Ward Lake

  Our records carry no depth, so judge it from the bank. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. Bays and points beat straight shoreline every time on water like this. County-wide records name bluegill, white sucker, yellow perch and Iowa darter. These are county-wide records, so not all of them will be in this water. Work Ward Lake in sections rather than trying to cover it.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Expect July to average close to 67°F, with January the cold end at about 5°F. Four clear seasons, with a proper winter at one end. Expect a solid lid for months and a thaw around mid April. The water is typically free of ice between mid April and mid November. Reckon on open water from spring through to late autumn, with May and June the strongest. It sets the rhythm of the year at Ward Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  There is no clear statement anywhere on who can fish it. Records list it as a natural water body rather than an impoundment. There is no recorded infrastructure here; expect to find your own way in. Pike mean a wire trace, no exceptions; big spoons and jerkbaits do the searching. Where the road in crosses private land, ask first. Some stretches are reserved and marked as such on the ground. If the gate is shut, Jud Chrests Lake at 2.1 miles is the nearest alternative. Nothing here settles the position at Ward Lake for certain.