North Dakota fishing besides Devils Lake

We go out to Devils once a year. This year I purchased a season long license instead of the 3 day thinking I might go back out. I’m wondering if there are other lakes that hold fish that are not quite as daunting and large as Devils. We always use Perch Patrol on Devils and do well but I would be going solo and bringing a side by side (no tracks) so I’m looking for something a little more contained and smaller than Devils with some good fishing. Any suggestions are appreciated.

Stump Lake ? East of Devils .

Here you go; info

All kinds of waters available and the above information will allow you to narrow down your choices. Lake size, depth, most prevalent fish species and sizes, it’s all there.

Huntindave wrote:

Here you go; info

All kinds of waters available and the above information will allow you to narrow down your choices. Lake size, depth, most prevalent fish species and sizes, it’s all there.

Excellent! Thank you

Anybody do any ice fishing on Sakakawea? Don’t hear much about it?

Pete

trophy19 wrote:

Anybody do any ice fishing on Sakakawea? Don’t hear much about it?

Pete

Been trying to get info on ice fishing Sak too, just nothing out there.

trophy19 wrote:

Anybody do any ice fishing on Sakakawea? Don’t hear much about it?

Pete

Friend lives near the lake. He says it’s a good Walleye bite, but a tough lake to figure out. Once you do, it’s predicable I guess. Been meaning to get out there soon, but the distance keeps me at home…

Sakakawea is an amazing walleye lake. I haven’t ice fished it yet but we took a trip out there early last summer and it’s a fun lake for sure. Ice fishing is supposed to be really good out there… once it finally freezes over.

There’s some really good walleye fishing on some of the random lakes throughout the state. Jump on the facebook group Ice Fishing North Dakota and post there. Most of the guys are pretty open and willing to share information!

My son lives in Watford City so I get out to Sakakawea for summer fishing with him – what a hoot!

He hasn’t tried ice fishing yet….. just curious if anyone has spent any time on the ice.

I used to fish Sakakawea years back in the winter for pike. If you wait until the end of March early April when the water starts to run into the back bays you can get into some really nice fish.

Our guide took us out on Stump this year and last year as well. Didn’t do so well overall this year. 4 guys and we brought home about 60 fish with more being eyes this year. The weather didn’t cooperate as we were overcast for 2 days with a warm front. The third day was near blizzard conditions on the lake with high winds.

The perch were real finnicky and you had to really finesse them. Chalked it up to a good learning experience. The fun we have is always worth it even if the fishing isn’t always great.

We left on a Monday and the sun broke out that morning. Before we even got to East Grand Forks the guide text me and said they already had 40 on the ice.

I ice fish Sakakawea all the time. Sometimes its good but for every good trip you have 2 or 3 bad. With its size there is just to much water to cover sometimes. Even moving around can be tough, the ice is never very consistant and you have to be carful, have had a few close calls. If you do find the fish though it can be good.

I live just west of Minot and ice fish/spear on Sak a lot.

East end (east of Van Hook) has had a ton of baitfish (smelt) the last 2-3 years. Walleye bite can be frustrating, you can mark them and watch them on camera, but tough to get a bite. Same with the pike, everything is fat and happy right now.

There is a ton of water to look at and cover. Navionics is a great map of the lake, water depths vary, but the structure is there. Most of the bays have 15-16″ in the back reaches, but get thinner as you go out to the main lake. Main lake has only had ice on it for 1.5 weeks so far and with currents and water level fluctuations, it can be sketchy on the main lake and out towards the mouth of bays.

With all that said, there are a ton of walleyes in Sak. The bite is mostly morning and evening with day fishing on the slow side. Tons of structure, being mobile is good, water clarity is great so you can scout spot on spot structure. Mid winter, I’ve had best luck on deeper sunken islands (25fow+).

There are huge pike in the system, and just about every other species as well. Salmon, catfish, rainbows, perch, white bass, goldeneye, etc… Never really know what your going to catch.

Garrison is a great little town to stay in. Not much snow so getting around and accessing the lake is easy. Sak is one of the few lakes you could put a little effort in getting to a spot and go the whole weekend without seeing another person.

So a warm front means bad fishing out there? Back here in michigan, when the mercury rises a bit it tends to help the fishing. Or was it the cloud cover?? Are hight skies better out there? I feel like I read something about that. Sorry, I’m a total noobie for ND/Devils lake but i’m heading there next week. Trying to learn as much as I can before then.

I just got back a week ago Monday. Perch haven’t turned on yet and no one knows why. Walleye were hitting in deep water up to 50 feet. White bass were plentiful and would come in flurries. We caught some perch but not many.
what guide service are you using? This was our 5th year of going and went Sno Bear this year for the first time. Only way I will go again. After going for 5 years we still haven’t hit that wild Devil’s Lake perch bite you read and hear about. We always come home with fish and hangovers so it’s all good!

If you want to keep up on the fishing report before you go this is the guy to read. He was our guide in the Sno Bear and a hard working guide I can tell you that.
DLFR

Look up northgate lake for loads of crappies and nice gills and a few rainbows. Lake metagoshie has monster pike n gills try the shallow side of bear island there is a ton of lakes in nd that are 10 times better than that tourist trap devils lake if u need some summertime waypoints for sak dm me i lived there for 10 years i got a ton lol also for ND fishing reports try the site fishing buddy

Are there any opportunities for zander through the ice?

People are questioning Devils lake.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/399488143529847/permalink/2042780219200623/?__tn__=CH-R

I live nearby the very middle most remote stretch of lake Sakakewea and am starting to ice fish it. I rarely get skunked, but so far have only caught pike. Most my trips this year have been on Audobon but I plan to be on Sak more. It’s only 15 miles away and I’ll mostly be fishing alone.