Lake Metigoshe is North Dakota’s surprise – a forested, island-dotted natural lake high in the wooded Turtle Mountains along the Canadian border, a world away from the open prairie. Ringed by birch and aspen and anchored by a beloved state park, it’s the state’s classic four-season “lake country” getaway: swimming and boating in summer, color in fall, and ice fishing and snow trails in winter.
This guide covers Lake Metigoshe: the state park, the fishing, and the recreation. It’s part of our growing North Dakota Lakes Database.
Lake Metigoshe at a glance
- Surface area: ~1,500 acres, a natural lake straddling the U.S.-Canada border
- Location: Bottineau County, north-central North Dakota, in the Turtle Mountains
- State park: Lake Metigoshe State Park – North Dakota’s largest developed park
- Top fish: northern pike, walleye, yellow perch, largemouth bass, bluegill, crappie
Lake Metigoshe State Park
Lake Metigoshe State Park is the heart of the lake and one of North Dakota’s premier parks, set in the rolling, wooded Turtle Mountains. It offers a large campground, cabins, a swimming beach, boat ramps, and miles of trails – including the popular Old Oak Trail through the hardwood forest – that double as cross-country ski and snowshoe routes in winter. The forested, lake-and-hills setting is so unlike the surrounding prairie that it feels like a piece of Minnesota’s north woods dropped into North Dakota.
Fishing Lake Metigoshe
The weedy, fertile natural lake is a fun mixed fishery: northern pike are the headliner, with walleye, yellow perch, largemouth bass, bluegill and crappie all present. A North Dakota fishing license is required. The bays, weed lines and the channels between the lake’s basins all hold fish, and Metigoshe is a popular, productive ice-fishing lake in winter.
Recreation, all four seasons
Metigoshe is a genuine four-season destination. Summer brings swimming, boating, paddling and fishing; fall lights up the hardwoods; and winter turns the park into a hub for ice fishing, cross-country skiing, snowshoeing and snowmobiling. The lake extends north into Manitoba, and the broader Turtle Mountains – with the International Peace Garden on the border nearby – make the area a unique corner of the northern plains.
Getting there and what’s nearby
Lake Metigoshe is about 15 miles northeast of Bottineau in north-central North Dakota, roughly 2 hours north of Minot. The International Peace Garden, straddling the U.S.-Canada border, is a short drive east and a worthwhile stop.
Know before you go
- Fishing license: a North Dakota license is required (the lake also extends into Manitoba – mind the border).
- Reserve the park: Lake Metigoshe State Park’s campground and cabins book up in summer and peak winter weekends.
- Best seasons: all four – summer for swimming and boating, fall for foliage, winter for ice fishing and skiing.
Frequently asked questions
What fish are in Lake Metigoshe?
Northern pike (the headliner), walleye, yellow perch, largemouth bass, bluegill and crappie.
What is there to do at Lake Metigoshe State Park?
Camping and cabins, a swimming beach, boating and fishing, and trails (like the Old Oak Trail) for hiking, cross-country skiing and snowshoeing – a true four-season park.
Where is Lake Metigoshe?
In the Turtle Mountains of north-central North Dakota, about 15 miles northeast of Bottineau near the Canadian border.
Related: explore more of the largest lakes in North Dakota, or head back to the North Dakota Lakes Database.
