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816-acre lake near Williams County. North Dakota Game & Fish survey water. The lake tops out around 13 ft. The depth chart is built from real state fisheries GPS surveys, so the humps, channels and drop-offs you see are measured, not guessed. What the data behind the map says about each species, season by season:
On the chart, Cottonwood Lake draws 816 acres inside 7.5 miles of shoreline. The shoreline is moderately structured (index 1.9) — enough points and pockets to pattern. The whole water is littoral — nothing here runs deeper than ~15 ft, so it's all weed-and-bait territory. End to end it runs roughly 3.6 mi, about 0.5 mi across. The water lies in Williams County. The nearest mapped water is Blacktail Dam, 18 mi to the southwest.
When the water first warms, walleye slide up into 3 to 13 ft. There's no big seasonal slide here — summer means 4 to 13 ft, winter 4 to 13 ft. Start at Break off the point. It's a drop-off holding about 11 ft of water and rates prime come fall. The feeding windows run the evening and early morning. Keep a crawler harness on bottom bouncer or a deep crankbait (trolled) rigged through the warm months.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 13 ft | dusk & dawn | Main-lake point (7 ft) | 1/8 oz jig + minnow, Hair jig |
| Summer | 4 to 13 ft | dusk & dawn | Break off the point (11 ft) | Crawler harness on bottom bouncer, Deep crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 4 to 13 ft | dusk & night | Break off the point (11 ft) | Jigging rap, Jig + big minnow |
| Winter | 4 to 13 ft | dusk & dawn | Deep basin (13 ft) | Jigging spoon + minnow head, Rattle bait |
When the water first warms, yellow perch slide up into 3 to 12 ft. By summer they slide out to 4 to 13 ft, and by winter most fish are in 4 to 13 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Shallow bay flat: a weed flat around 6 ft that scores prime in spring. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning. Keep a drop-shot micro plastics or a small spoon tipped with worm rigged through the warm months.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (6 ft) | Small jig + curly tail, Perch-pattern micro crank |
| Summer | 4 to 13 ft | dawn | Deep basin (13 ft) | Drop-shot micro plastics, Small spoon tipped with worm |
| Fall | 4 to 13 ft | midday | Deep basin (13 ft) | Jigging spoon (small), Perch rig / spreader |
| Winter | 4 to 13 ft | midday & dawn | Deep basin (13 ft) | Tungsten jig + spikes, Rattle spoon (small) |
The spring pattern is a shallow one: northern pike in 2 to 8 ft. As the season builds they drop to 4 to 13 ft, wintering in 4 to 13 ft. Top water on the chart: Shallow bay flat, a weed flat in the 6 ft range, prime in spring. Time it for early morning and the evening. Summer baits: a bucktail or a weedless spoon over cabbage gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (6 ft) | #5 inline spinner, Spoon (red/white) |
| Summer | 4 to 13 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (6 ft) | Bucktail, Weedless spoon over cabbage |
| Fall | 4 to 13 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (6 ft) | Big rubber (Bull Dawg style), Husky-style jerkbait |
| Winter | 4 to 13 ft | midday | Shallow bay flat (6 ft) | Tip-ups, Large jigging spoon |
The chart marks 6 structure features on Cottonwood Lake; the deepest is Deep basin at about 13 ft.
Access data: North Dakota Game & Fish — Fishing Facilities. Confirm conditions and fees locally before you launch.
Season dates, license requirements, and size and bag limits for North Dakota waters are set by the North Dakota Game and Fish — and special regulations can apply to Cottonwood Lake specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official North Dakota fishing regulations →
Cottonwood Lake is about 13 ft (4 m) deep at its deepest point. The depth chart here comes from real state fisheries GPS surveys, so the contours reflect measured depths.
Anglers target walleye, yellow perch, northern pike on Cottonwood Lake.
Break off the point is the top-rated area: a drop-off in about 11 ft of water that rates prime for walleye in fall. Scroll up to the map for the complete spot list by species and season.
For walleye, the summer bite is best in the evening and early morning. Each species page section below lists the seasonal windows, and the map shows a live NOW badge when you're inside one.
Fishing on Cottonwood Lake is regulated by the North Dakota Game and Fish. Check the official North Dakota regulations for current license requirements, season dates, and size and bag limits — special regulations can apply to this specific water.
Blacktail Dam 18 mi · McLeod (Ray) Reservoir 21 mi · McGregor Dam 22 mi · Epping-Springbrook Dam 23 mi · Tioga Dam 26 mi · White Earth Dam 32 mi · Smishek Lake 35 mi · Powers Lake 37 mi · Boundary Reservoir 37 mi, SK · Short Creek Dam 41 mi · Trenton Lake 41 mi · Stanley Reservoir 52 mi
See how Cottonwood Lake stacks up: best walleye lakes in North Dakota · best northern pike lakes in North Dakota · best yellow perch lakes in North Dakota
More water nearby: Williams County fishing maps (7 charts). Browse all North Dakota fishing maps or see every water on DepthScout. Bathymetry credit: state fisheries survey programs. How we build these maps. Fish here with a sonar unit that logs? Send us your depth data and we'll improve this chart, credited to you. For fishing guidance only, never navigation.