North Dakota Fishing Guides

Freshwater Fishing In North Dakota

North Dakota is a wild and wooly state, with vast expanses of hills, buttes, high plains, wetlands, lakes, rivers, and the Badlands. It’s big in area but tiny in population. Furthermore, some sources state that North Dakota receives the fewest visitors each year of any U.S. state. Poor North Dakota! If you’re an avid angler, however, you can turn these pertinent facts to your advantage. Great fishing spots + few fishermen = more fish for you!

All sorts of fishing are both possible and productive in North Dakota. Some of the methods include wade fishing, trolling, fly fishing, and traditional hook-and-line casting. North Dakota anglers love their fishing, and even -40 degree winters can’t stop them. That’s when they turn to ice fishing.

The more popular finned species include largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, walleye, salmon, stripers, and rainbow, brown, cutthroat, and lake trout. Catfish and a variety of bream and other panfish are also widely available.

Catching huge paddlefish is another activity relished by some anglers. In North Dakota, these monsters can be found in the Missouri and Yellowstone rivers.

Fishing Guides In North Dakota

Popular Fishing Lakes In North Dakota

Nelson Lake – If you want to land a largemouth bass in North Dakota, head to this lake. It has rocks, channels, creeks, shallow flats, and submerged vegetation. The state record largemouth was caught here, at 8 pounds, 7.5 ounces.

Lake Sakakawea – This 368,000-acre lake is in west-central North Dakota. The lake is a good place for smallmouth bass fishing, but the main draw for anglers is salmon – especially in the deeper parts of the lake. Sakakawea also has good walleye action, and record sauger and saugeye were landed here. Because of the lake’s immense size, you’ll do better with a fishing guide.

Lake Tschida – Also known as Heart Butte Reservoir, this 5,000-acre lake is located in the southwestern region of the state. It was formed by damming the Heart River. The reservoir provides good fishing for bass, walleye, catfish, and crappie. There are several boat ramps, along with a handicap-accessible fishing pier.

Lake Audobon – Located in west-central North Dakota, this 16,610-acre lake offers prime fishing for smallmouth bass. It has gravel, islands, rocks, and lots of open water.

Raleigh Reservoir – This is a small lake in Grant County, at just 59 acres, but it has some great fishing. Rainbow trout are stocked in the lake regularly, and it also provides largemouth and smallmouth bass fishing.

Garrison Tailrace – This is the water that flows past Garrison Dam, on the Missouri River. The lake formed by the dam is Lake Sakakawea. This tailrace provides some of the best fishing in the state. State record fish landed here include Chinook salmon, brown trout, cutthroat trout, lake trout, rainbow trout, and whitefish.

Sheyenne River – This is a great venue for landing walleye, smallmouth bass, white bass, crappie, northern pike, rock bass, and catfish.

Missouri River – The Missouri runs through a large section of North Dakota. Fishing is great for several species, but if you want to battle a real monster, try snagging a paddlefish. The state record was pulled from the Missouri and weighed in at 120 pounds.