North Dakota

Fishing in North Dakota

Fishing in North Dakota is yet another wonderful experience, because the state has got enormous number of water bodies ranging from small ponds to large river systems and reservoirs and a variety of fish amongst which everyone can find something or the other to pursue.

Roughly the state is divided in the west half and the south half, besides which the Missouri River, the major river of the state, too contributes a large amount of fishery.

The West Half

53 counties fall into this half containing number of water bodies with a variety of fishes. Major water bodies are rivers, lakes, dams, ponds and reservoirs.

Rivers: Cannonball, Heart, Knife, Missouri, Little Missouri, Upper Missouri, Souris, and Yellowstone.

Lakes: Mirror, North Lemmon, Metigoshe, Long, Loon, Pelican, Strawberry, Gascoyne, Powers, Smishek, Grass, Harriet, Skjermo, Ilo, Jake’s, Rice, Senger, Larson, Bentley, Buffalo Lodge, Cottonwood, George, Round, Audubon, Brekken, Camp, Crooked, Lightning, Riverdale Spillway, Harmony, Nelson, Darling, Coal Mine, Richard, Stober, Wolf, Hiddenwood, Makoti, North Carlson, South Carlson, Kettle, Oahe, Sakakawea, GDU Canal, and Trenton.

Dams: Cadbury, Bowman-Haley, Holocek, Kalina, Lutz, Northgate, Short Creek, McDowell, Baukol-Noonan, BarZ, Dvorak, Braddock, Buffalo Gap, Camels Hump, Odland, Blickensderfer, Castle Rock, Indian Creek, Mott Watershed, Amegard, Leland, Sather, Watford City Park, Crown Butte, Danzig, Fish Creek, Nygren, Porsborg, Sweet Briar, White Earth, East Arroda, West Arroda, Frolich, Davis, Blacktail, Epping-Springbrook, Iverson, Kota-Ray, McGregor, and Tioga.

Ponds: Cottonwood Park, OWLS, Wilton City, Beach City, Watford City, Camp Loop, Painted Woods, Beulah, Gaebe, Stanley, Glenburn, Belfield, Slater, Nelson-Landers, State Fair, Velva Sportsmen’s, East Spring, and West Spring.

Reservoirs: Heart Butte, Stanley, Dickinson, and McLeod.

Fishes found are walleye, perch, largemouth and smallmouth bass, trout, pike, catfish, sauger, paddlefish, bluegill, and crappie.

The East Half

This half has got 52 counties in it, in which you will find a number of water bodies with different kinds of fishes to give you whatever you want to fish.

Rivers: James, Red, Seyenne, and Turtle.

Lakes: Fox, North Hobart, South Hobart, Moon, Sanborn, Gravel Pit, Mission, Silver, Wood, Brewer, Moores, Pheasant, Adams, Battle, Coe, Dry, Juanita, Red Willow, Sibley, Alkaline, Cherry, Des Moines, North Des Moines, Fresh, Frettim, Helen, Jasper, Geneva, Isabel, Williams, Leno, Long Alkaline, Ranch, Round, South, Swan, Willow, Boom, Flood, Woodhouse,  Diamond, Kalmbach, LaMoure, Twin, Arnies, Beaver, Braun,Kautz, Marvin Miller, Mundt, Rudolph, Thurn, West Lake Napoleon, Becker-Schelpp, Clear, Coldwater, Dollinger-Schnabel, Dorfman, Green, Hoskins, Mudd, Pfeifle, Pudwill, Laretta, Stump, Antelope, Buffalo, Sand, Cavanaugh, Devils, Irvine, Morrison, Sweetwater, Elm, Grass, Horseshoe, Elsie, Lueck, Wahl, West Moran, Belcourt, Cain, Carpenter, Dion, Gordon, Gravel, Hooker, Island, Jarvis, Jensen, School Section, Shutte, Upsilon, Wheaton, Alkali, Consolidate, Fiala, Walstead, Tewaukon, Sprague, North Golden, South Golden, North Tobiason, Arrowwood, Bader, Barnes, Clark, Hehn-Schaffer, Jim, Reule, Spiritwood, Streeter, Goose, and Hurdsfield.

Ponds: Blumers, Hatchery Kids, North Woodhaven, South Woodhaven, Langdon City, Ryan Park, Mooreton, and:Little Britches.

Reservoirs: Casselton, Jamestown, and Pipestem.

Dam: Fort Totten, Mount Carmel, Wilson, Warsing, Fordville, Kolding, Larimore, Balta, Niagara, Carlson-Tande, Heinrich-Martin, Kulm-Edgerley, Limesand-Seefeldt, Schlecht-Thom, Schlecht-Weixel, Schlenker, Blumhardt, Silver Creek, Tolna, Whitman, Renwick, Finley, Armourdale, Bylin, Dougherty, Homme, Matejcek, and Harvey.

Fishes found are pike, perch, crappie, walleye, bluegill, trout, largemouth and smallmouth bass, and catfish.

Whopper Club

Fishing in North Dakota gets even more exciting with the prestigious Whopper Club membership. For getting the membership the fish caught must be in the listed species and must meet the minimum requirements. You can make only one application for each species in lifetime. For the first species, you get a patch and a certificate, the second gets you a “Expert” patch and the third one a “Master” patch. Species caught thereafter will be awarded a certificate. In the application, you must mention the weight and length of the fish caught, date and place of the catch, your signature, and signature of the person weighing the fish.

Catch and Release Club

To qualify for the membership of this club, your entry must meet minimum length requirements and should be released unharmed to the water. 19 species come under this. Another angler should be the witness of the measurement and release. If you are qualified for the membership, you will receive an official membership certificate and a choice of jacket patch or boat decal. Maximum five entries per year per species are granted.

As you can see fishing in North Dakota gives more exciting than just fishing with the prestigious club memberships. So now when you are marching towards North Dakota?