Guide To Popular Choices For Great Fishing In North Dakota

All about fishing in the Peace Garden State

Major Lakes & Species
Lake Sizes & Locations
North Dakota Fish Species & State Records

Fishing lakes dot the entire state of North Dakota offering a variety of fishing for smallmouth and largemouth bass, walleyes, crappies, perch and more. Ice fishing in winter presents additional fishing opportunities throughout North Dakota. Here, we will concentrate on the major lakes in ND.

Here, you can fish for largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, channel catfish, flathead catfish, black crappie, white crappie, walleye, rainbow trout, cutthroat trout, brown trout, lake trout, bluegill, white bass, yellow perch, chinook salmon, muskie, northern pike, paddlefish, sauger, saugeye and tiger muskie in local lakes, rivers, ponds and/or streams.

Major North Dakota Lakes & Species

Lake & Fish Chart

This chart shows the major angling destinations, cross referencing these waters with the major species to be found in each of the lakes or impoundments. Many of these lakes offer fishing boats for rent.

For a detailed list of primary fish species in ND, plus state fish records, see the list below.

Fishing lake sizes and locations in the state.

Arrowwood Lake is a 2,700-acre lake in the central part of the state, at Kensal.

Bowman-Haley Lake is a 1,700-acre lake in the southern border of the state, 12 miles south of Bowman.

Buffalo Lodge Lake is a 1,400-acre lake in the north-central part of the state, 4 miles northeast of Granville.

Devils Lake is a 122,000-acre lake in the northeast part of the state, at Devils Lake.

Dry Lake is a 4,100-acre lake in the north-central part of the state, at Webster.

Jamestown Reservoir is a 2,000-acre lake in the central part of the state, at Jamestown.

Lake Ashtabula is a 5,400-acre lake in the east-central part of the state, at Luverne.

Lake Audubon is a 25,000-acre lake in the west-central part of the state, at Coleharbor.

Lake Darling is a 9,500-acre lake in the north-central part of the state, at Grano.

Lake Metigoshe is a 1,500-acre lake in the north-central part of the state, 10 miles north of Bottineau.

Lake Oahe is a 370,000-acre lake in south-central ND, running south into SD.

Lake Sakakawea is a 368,000-acre lake in the west-central part of the state, stretching from Garrison to Williston.

Lake Tschida is a 5,000-acre lake in the southwest part of the state, 12 miles south of Glen Ullin.

Pipestem Lake is an 840-acre lake in the central part of the state, at Jamestown.

Powers Lake is a 1,600-acre lake in the northwest part of the state, at Powers Lake.

Stump Lake is a 15,000-acre lake in the eastern part of the state, at Toina.

Click the images and links above for species details.

Fishing Guides

You can find a listing of ND fishing guides here. If you are a fishing guide in North Dakota or know of a good resource, please send us information for consideration.

Visit AA-Boats-Boating.com to find information about fishing boats in North Dakota and other boating information.

State of ND Fishing Information

Click here to obtain a North Dakota Fishing License. For additional information about fishing in ND visit the Game and Fish Department, website.