Fishing near Bismarck, North Dakota

Bismarck belongs to Burleigh County, North Dakota. There is enough water within reach to fish somewhere new each week. Ordered by drive time: Cottonwood Lake at 2.1 miles to the east, Crown Butte Lake at 15 miles, Fish Creek Lake at 22 miles to the west with Sterling Reservoir at 24 miles. At Cottonwood Lake the inflow corner is the place when rain has been through. Held water dominates the choice here. Stony ground fishes better than mud in the cold. Winter is a real season here, not a mild spell. Cold water slows everything, including the retrieve. Cottonwood Lake, the closest, runs to roughly 8 acres. Cottonwood Lake is the easiest to reach with a car. On climate averages, local water clears around mid April. Open records for Burleigh County list bluegill, northern pike, common carp and largemouth bass. Cottonwood Lake is the one most people from Bismarck fish first....