Tomorrow 8 am to Monday 2 amNorthern pike
The bite peaks at 68. Wind builds to 21 mph out of the west by today at 2:00 pm.
Each float is an hour. The deeper it rides, the better the bite. The strip underneath runs daylight, dusk and dark; the red rule marks the best window. Click any hour to read it.
Right now
Northern pike range 50–70°
From the west · rough for small boats
Sunset 4:20 pm
No rain expected
NWS hourly forecast
Waning crescent
Each species is scored against its own water-temperature range and tide preference, then wind, weather and warnings. The rules are North Dakota non-tidal regulations for these waters.
No water reading here right now. Northern pike bite in 50–70° water, best near 63°.
Light breeze — ruffles the surface so fish spook less, and casting is easy. Holds 4–30 ft down.
Open. Keep fish within the limits. North Dakota (2026–28 proclamation): 5 northern pike a day, 10 in possession.
Verified Oct 23, 2026 · North Dakota non-tidal
Last checked 15 days ago. Rules may have changed.
Season here: Year-round. More on northern pike
No water reading here right now. Walleye bite in 50–72° water, best near 62°.
Walleye feeds aggressively in low light. Light breeze — ruffles the surface so fish spook less, and casting is easy. Walleye is here Apr–Jun, Oct. Holds 10–40 ft down.
Open. Keep fish within the limits. North Dakota (2026–28 proclamation): 5 walleye, sauger and saugeye a day combined (10 in possession), no minimum except at Buffalo Lake, Jamestown and Pipestem reservoirs and Lake Elsie (14").
Verified Oct 23, 2026 · North Dakota non-tidal
Last checked 15 days ago. Rules may have changed.
Season here: Apr–Jun, Oct, estimated from local air temperature, 2023–2025; there is no water gauge here. More on walleye
No water reading here right now. Smallmouth bass bite in 55–78° water, best near 68°.
Light breeze — ruffles the surface so fish spook less, and casting is easy. Smallmouth bass is here May–Oct. Holds 3–30 ft down.
Open. Keep fish within the limits. North Dakota (2026–28 proclamation): 5 largemouth and smallmouth bass a day combined (10 in possession), no size limit.
Verified Oct 23, 2026 · North Dakota non-tidal
Last checked 15 days ago. Rules may have changed.
Season here: May–Oct, estimated from local air temperature, 2023–2025; there is no water gauge here. More on smallmouth bass
No water reading here right now. Chinook salmon bite in 42–58° water, best near 50°.
Light breeze — ruffles the surface so fish spook less, and casting is easy. Chinook salmon is here Apr–Oct. Holds 15–150 ft down.
Open. Keep fish within the limits. North Dakota (2026–28 proclamation): 5 salmon a day, 10 in possession. Snagging, archery and spearing for salmon are allowed Sep 25–Oct 31 on Lake Sakakawea from Garrison Dam up to the Highway 23 bridge near New Town.
Verified Oct 23, 2026 · North Dakota non-tidal
Last checked 15 days ago. Rules may have changed.
Season here: Apr–Oct. More on chinook salmon
No water reading here right now. White bass bite in 55–80° water, best near 68°.
Light breeze — ruffles the surface so fish spook less, and casting is easy. White bass is here Apr–Oct. Holds 4–30 ft down.
Open. Keep fish within the limits. North Dakota (2026–28 proclamation): 30 white bass a day, 60 in possession.
Verified Oct 23, 2026 · North Dakota non-tidal
Last checked 15 days ago. Rules may have changed.
Season here: Apr–Oct. More on white bass
No water reading here right now. Common carp bite in 52–86° water, best near 72°.
Light breeze — ruffles the surface so fish spook less, and casting is easy. Common carp is here May–Oct. Holds 1–15 ft down.
Open. Keep fish within the limits. North Dakota: nongame fish, carp included, have no daily or possession limit. Live nongame fish other than legal baitfish may not be used as bait.
Verified Oct 18, 2026 · North Dakota non-tidal
Last checked 20 days ago. Rules may have changed.
Season here: May–Oct, estimated from local air temperature, 2023–2025; there is no water gauge here. More on common carp
Solunar tables are a popular heuristic. A peer-reviewed test found they don’t predict catch on their own, so here they only nudge the score when the tide or moon already agree. How the score works
We only show reports an agency has published, with their date. North Dakota Game & Fish has the state’s fishing pages.
Licenses and rules: North Dakota Game & Fish · trout stocking · fish-consumption advisory
A 178-mile Missouri River reservoir behind Garrison Dam — one of the largest man-made lakes in the U.S. and North Dakota’s flagship walleye fishery. Walleye and sauger fill the points and flats, smallmouth bass hold on the rock, northern pike prowl the bays, and a landlocked chinook salmon run draws fall anglers. Many state-park and access-area ramps ring the lake.
North Dakota: 5 walleye, sauger and saugeye a day with no minimum; 5 northern pike and 5 salmon a day. Salmon snagging is allowed Sep 25–Oct 31 from Garrison Dam up to the Highway 23 bridge near New Town.
Public spots within 40 miles, with the same 36 hours of floats.
Yes (anglers age 16 and older). To fish at Lake Sakakawea (Fort Stevenson State Park) you need the appropriate state fishing license. See the agency's current rules: the state agency website
Lake Sakakawea (Fort Stevenson State Park) is listed on this site for 6 commonly-targeted species: Walleye, Smallmouth Bass, Northern Pike, Chinook Salmon, and 2 more. Which species is currently in season and which is scoring highest today is shown in the per-species ranking on this page.
It depends more on the species and the day's conditions than on a fixed "best hour." Water temperature, weather, and — at tidal locations — the stage of the tide drive activity most. The per-species ranking on this page scores every target species at Lake Sakakawea (Fort Stevenson State Park) against today's live conditions, so the fish near the top are your best bets right now; check back as conditions change through the day.
Lake Sakakawea (Fort Stevenson State Park) has multiple access types — pier, shoreline, and at least one public boat ramp. North Dakota: 5 walleye, sauger and saugeye a day with no minimum; 5 northern pike and 5 salmon a day. Salmon snagging is allowed Sep 25–Oct 31 from Garrison Dam up to the Highway 23 bridge near New Town.
state agency regulations apply at Lake Sakakawea (Fort Stevenson State Park). Size limits, creel limits, and seasonal closures are listed per species on each species page. Always confirm against the agency source linked from each regulation block — emergency closures can take effect mid-season.
No. Lake Sakakawea (Fort Stevenson State Park) is non-tidal — water level varies with rainfall, seasonal flow, and (where applicable) upstream dam releases rather than tidal exchange.
Press / anywhere to search. Towns list the closest spots.
