Cherry Lake connects its fishery management with a local history that spans early settlement through the Fort Totten Trail. When planning your trip, you can consider access, swimming, and historical interest as separate questions. The name also varies: Lake Coe is another name for the same lake.

Name and Size

Lake Coe is another name for Cherry Lake, not a separate body of water. The lake is in Eddy County, North Dakota, and covers around 654 acres; this figure is an estimate. So if you come across the name Lake Coe, you can associate it with the same destination. The county and approximate size provide geographic context; the next question for planning a visit is access.

Access and Trip Planning

A 2021 access plan describes access as restricted. It identifies access across private property and a public NDGF boat ramp on the west shore. These are different types of access: the public boat ramp and access across private property. Check local conditions before traveling. This distinction can help with planning because the ramp is a specific public access point on the west shore, while the other access routes involve private property.

If Cherry Lake is the deciding factor in your trip, first decide whether you are interested in the lake, fishery management, swimming, or local history. This priority can help structure your search for a vacation rental around what you want to explore in the area.

Fishing and Swimming

The NDGF has stocked Cherry Lake with fish and is responsible for managing its fishery. Check local advisories before swimming. This gives you separate guidance for these two interests: for fishing, through the NDGF’s management responsibilities; for swimming, through local advisories.

Historical Traces

Around 1875, Benjamin Fay settled in the southwest of Section 8, 148-63, at a site that is now part of Cherry Lake. There may have been a stop or post office along the Fort Totten Trail in this area. This possible connection adds a tentative reference to the route of the time to the settlement history.

The area was first known as Greb and later as Cherry Lake. The Fort Totten Trail ran along the western edge of present-day Cherry Lake Township. It was still visible in the original grassland in the early 1920s. The historical context therefore includes several connections: a settlement around 1875, the history of the name, and the trail’s visibility at the time. Together, they give the name Cherry Lake a specific local context.

Discover more destinations: New Rockford

View the main travel overview: Eddy County.