North Dakota may not be thought of as the fly fishing capital, but there are some of the best-stocked lakes and streams in the state. In April of 2006, I heard from Scott Stential of Scheels local game store, who had regular reports not only from North Dakota Fish and Game, but from local anglers for catching those big ones. He was the guest speaker at the Fly Fishing Club meeting in April and told us about fishing spots in the state. Here are some of the hot spots in the city and what they offer. All of these lakes are public access, but some can be easily accessed by car.
I will go through the county and tell about the lakes lined up and now good spots to fish not just using fly rigs but just a rod and jig . You also need to make sure you have a fishing license and any certifications for the type of fish in the state you are fishing in and follow any catch and release and size rules for your local lake, pond, river or stream. The ponds are too small for boat access and some are too small for any waterfalls. Make sure you follow some of the state rules regarding boating and that you clean your boat before leaving the boat ramp area to prevent invasive aquatic species such as the Zebra conch and the Eurasian water mullet. Also, pick up trash or trash any convenience items you see other people have carelessly left behind. If you help the environment, no matter how small, you’ll be saving the great outdoors for generations to come as well as making the areas you enjoy.
Nelson County
McVille Dam
McVille Dam is a mile east of McVille, 40 miles east of Devil’s Lake on Highway 15. It is a smaller lake along with boat access, gravel roads around some lakes and a fishing area with a pier and a vaulted toilet. The lake is stocked with Northern Pike Valley and Rainbow Trout.
Stutsman County
Put on your little Britches
Britches Pond is small next to the Jamestown Resevoir Marina outside of Jamestown, ND. A small pond and a large pond to fish in, more stocked with Rainbow Trout, Crocus Perch, Black Crappie, Bluegill and Smallmouth Bass. This lake does not have boat access as it is narrow for motorboating.
Barnes County
Blumers Pond
Blumers Lake is one mile south of Valley City in Barnes County. Another small pond great for trout. In part, it is well stocked with trout because of its proximity to the Federal Valley Fish Hatchery. There is no boat ramp at this small tank with no motors allowed.
Active Hatchery Kids
This is another Pond in the United Fish Area Hatchery that is well stocked with Rainbow Trout as well as Black Crappie, Bluegill and Crocus Perch . This pond is two miles north of the city of the Valley Dam area near Baldhill. This spot is another small tank with great easy access and small size, but no boat access.
lake of the moon
Lake is a lake to the south and west of the valley. Walleye, Rainbow Trout and was restocked in 2004 with Fall Chinook Salmon. Moon Lake is part of the Moon Lake State Wildlife Management area.
Price County
Mooringstone Ponds
Mooringstone Lake is a stone’s throw from the historic Fort Price site north of Route 27. It is on a small trail off the road and therefore not accessible for fishing boat and is well equipped with Rainbow Trout for its size.
Richland County
Mooreton Pond
Mooreton Lake is two miles east of Mooreton and ten miles west of Wahpeton. This lake is made for fishing and stocked with Rainbow Trout, Largemouth Bass, Crocus Perch and even Fathead. Minnows. This tank is too small for motorboating but is easily accessible from the beach.
These are the hot spots as of this writing, certainly there are other spots that are also very good for fly fishing. regular fishing in the state or . I know people catch many kinds of fish fish in the Red River especially Catfish but also Walleye and others. The larger lakes are all good for Walleye, Northern Pike and other fish. Smaller streams and cold lakes are the best for trout and many are stocked in the state.
You can go to the North Dakota Department of Fish and Wildlife website for additional fishing and full information here: http://gf.nd.gov/fishing/nd-fish-wat.html. You can also get fishing orders and other information from the website. Another good source for fishing and hot spots for fishing or recreational activities is the site. There are also some very good websites such as Fishing Buddy which has forums for anglers to offer help and tips to each other and can be found here: http://www.fishingbuddy.com/ .Websites like this are often the best. put up a site for date information about fishing and it is a good way for people to talk about their luck on certain lakes and other places.
