North Dakota offers outstanding walleye fishing on massive Missouri River reservoirs and natural glacial lakes. Lake Sakakawea — the third-largest reservoir in the US at 368,000 acres — is famous for trophy walleye and northern pike. Devils Lake is one of the best walleye fisheries in North America, and the Missouri River below Garrison Dam provides excellent rainbow trout fishing in a unique tailwater setting.
Fishing Regulations
- Daily creel limit = max legally taken fish (by species) midnight to midnight; possession = as listed.
- Game fish and parts thereof may not be used as bait, except yellow perch eyes and trout/salmon eggs.
- Channel catfish east of ND Hwy 1: may only remove gills/entrails on the water (head, fillets and tail attached).
- Special dark-house spearing/bowfishing waters for pike, walleye, channel catfish (Devils Lake complex, Sakakawea, Oahe, Missouri/Yellowstone).
14 species limits are shown per spot in the CatchTales app.
Pick a region below to explore its fishing spots.
Devils Lake & Northeast
Devils Lake, Stump Lake, Sakakawea, Oahe
40 spots
Lake Oahe & South Central
Lake Oahe, Bismarck area, Sakakawea, Devils
40 spots
Missouri River & Lake Sakakawea
Lake Sakakawea, Missouri River, Garrison Dam, Oahe
40 spots
Northwest Plains
Lake Darling, Upper Souris Refuge, Long Lake, Sakakawea
40 spots
Red River Valley & East
Red River, Sheyenne River, Lake Ashtabula, Sakakawea
40 spots
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