Guide To Popular Choices For Great Fishing In North Dakota
All about fishing in the Peace Garden State
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.
Fish Species & State Records in North Dakota
Bass
Largemouth bass
World record: 22 lbs 4 oz
State Record: 8 lbs 8 oz
Smallmouth bass
World record: 11 lbs 15 oz
State Record: 6 lbs 13 oz
Catfish
Channel catfish
World record: 58 lbs 0 oz
State Record: 42 lbs 1 oz
Flathead catfish
World record: 123 lbs 9 oz
State Record: 29 lbs 6 oz
Crappie
Black crappie
World record: 6 lbs 0 oz
State Record: 3 lbs 4 oz*
White crappie
World record: 5 lbs 3 oz
State Record: 3 lbs 4 oz*
Walleye
Walleye
World record: 25 lbs 0 oz
State Record: 15 lbs 13 oz
Sauger
World record: 17 lbs 7 oz
State Record: 8 lbs 12 oz
Saugeye
World record: 15 lbs 6 oz
State Record: 12 lbs 0 oz
Trout
Rainbow trout
World record: 42 lbs 2 oz
State Record: 21 lbs 4 oz
Cutthroat trout
World record: 41 lbs 0 oz
State Record: 10 lbs 1 oz
Brown trout
World record: 40 lbs 4 oz
State Record: 31 lbs 11 oz
Lake trout
World record: 72 lbs 0 oz
State Record: 16 lbs 6 oz
Panfish
Bluegill
World record: 4 lbs 12 oz
State Record: 2 lbs 12 oz
White Bass
World record: 6.8 lbs
State Record: 4 lbs 10 oz
Yellow perch
World record: 4 lbs 3 oz
State Record: 2 lbs 15 oz
Salmon
Chinook salmon
World record: 97 lbs 4 oz
State Record: 31 lbs 2 oz
Other species
Muskie (Muskellunge)
World record: 69 lbs 9 oz
State Record: 46 lbs 8 oz
Northern pike
World record: 55 lbs 1 oz
State Record: 37 lbs 8 oz
Paddlefish
World record: 144 lbs
State Record: 130 lbs 0 oz
Tiger muskie
World record: 51 lbs 2 oz
State Record: 40 lbs 0 oz
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.

Fish for big bass
Great largemouth and smallmouth bass fishing opportunities are available to anglers.
Fishing in all states
NORTH DAKOTA

