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Fishing
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| North Dakota Tourism/Jason Lindsey |
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We used to describe North Dakota's fishing as a "best kept secret," but word got out: North Dakota means legendary fishing. Whether you're challenging world-renowned fisheries like Lake Sakakawea and Devils Lake, or just hitting a local fishing hole, we invite you to drop a line often.
Missouri River System
North Dakota’s Missouri River System is a tale of four distinct bodies of water, each with its own special characteristics.
The Upper Missouri
The Missouri enters North Dakota from Montana and flows freely for many miles until it calms down at the headwaters of Lake Sakakawea. This upper Missouri stretch, joined by the Yellowstone River just inside the state’s borders, is where sauger bite well in spring and fall, northern pike inhabit many backwaters, and catfish much of the open-water season.
Lake Sakakawea
Lake Sakakawea starts just south of Williston and stretches out more than 150 miles to the southeast where it is contained by Garrison Dam, one of the larger earth-rolled dams in the world. Walleye attract considerable attention from Sakakawea anglers throughout the reservoir. Northern pike, North Dakota’s state fish, can grow larger than 20 pounds and cruise hundreds of bays that add up to the lake’s more than 1,300 miles of shoreline. The deep, cold water of lower Sakakawea harbors chinook salmon, while the northern face of the dam and underwater rocky points and islands support a tremendous smallmouth bass fishery. White bass, yellow perch, crappie, sauger and rainbow and brown trout are also plentiful in certain parts of the lake.
Central Missouri River
From Garrison Dam, the Missouri River resumes its natural course, flowing cool and clear until it reaches Lake Oahe’s headwaters some 75 miles downstream to a point about 20 miles south of Bismarck and Mandan. Just below the dam, the Garrison Dam Tailrace is one of the premier fishing spots in the state. State records for chinook salmon, and brown, rainbow and cutthroat trout were caught within 20 miles downstream of the dam. Walleyes are found in this entire stretch of river, with impressive spring and fall runs.
Lake Oahe
North Dakota contains about 60 miles of Lake Oahe, which extends another 120 miles into South Dakota, where it ends at Oahe Dam north of Pierre. North Dakota’s portion of the reservoir supports a walleye and northen pike fishery, along with seldom tapped but enticing crappie, catfish and white bass possibilities.
Devils Lake
Once known primarily for its jumbo perch caught through the ice, Devils Lake has grown, in more ways than one. Northern pike, walleye, white bass and crappie all compete for angling attention year-round. The lake has tripled in size since 1992 and fish populations have kept up with expanding water.
Pike cruise in and around flooded trees. And when you find a school of white bass, these plate-sized fighters will nail your lure on almost every cast. Walleye and perch are plentiful and ice anglers still come from far and wide in quest of perch that push two pounds.
Red River of the North
Call it a beneficial merger. The joining of the Ottertail and Bois de Sioux rivers between Wahpeton, N.D. and Breckenridge, Minn., creates one of the finest catfish rivers in the country. From its headwaters and all along its winding course between North Dakota and Minnesota, the Red River of the North produces catfish — from drag-searing monsters to bait-stealing “fiddlers.”
The Game and Fish Department is your source for up-to-date fees and regulations, call 701-328-6300.
North Dakota Fishing Waters
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