Cottonwood Lake

Northern pike and yellow perch water, stocked through the 2026 season program; 46,647 fish in the published allocation.

Williams County · North Dakota · see it on the national map

2026 season program

2 species

46,647 fish allocated

What swims here

Northern pike 1 allocation

Yellow perch 1 allocation

Season program record

North Dakota Game and Fish Department publishes this water by season or program window, not by dated schedule, so there are no truck dates to list; the rows below are the published program allocations.

Season	Species	Size	Fish
2026 season	Northern pike	fingerling	42,000
2026 season	Yellow perch	adult	4,647

Gear for this water

For the muskie and pike (northern pike on the season program here)

Heavy casting rod	7.5 to 9 ft heavy with 65 to 80 lb braid; these fish punish light gear
Large bucktails and gliders	big profile baits; finish every cast with a figure-eight
Steel or heavy fluoro leader	non-negotiable; pike and muskie cut everything else

For the panfish (yellow perch on the season program here)

Ultralight rod and small jigs	1/32 to 1/64 oz jigs under a float; 2 to 4 lb line
Live bait	waxworms, crickets, and redworms out-fish everything for bluegill
Small tubes and grubs	1 to 2 inch plastics for crappie around brush

Suggestions follow from what the state actually stocks here and what kind of water it is, nothing else. No sponsored placements.

Nearby stocked waters

The closest waters with stocking pages of their own, straight-line miles from this one.

Water	Distance	Most recent
Kettle Lake	8.4 mi	2026 season
Blacktail Dam	17 mi	2026 season
McLeod (Ray) Reservoir	21 mi	2026 season
Epping-Springbrook Dam	23 mi	2026 season
McGregor Dam	23 mi	2026 season

Records from North Dakota Game and Fish Department (official page). Placement from North Dakota Game and Fish Department coordinates. Schedules change without notice. Seasons, limits, and licenses: North Dakota fishing regulations.