Living in a winter climate means finding exciting ways to keep busy during the cold months. This is especially true if you live in North Dakota, where the state averages three to four severe winter storms per year. North Dakota, also known as the Peace Garden State, is indeed one of the coldest states in the United States. In fact, the state has a Guinness World Record that may not surprise you! The state is known for holding the record for the most snow angels made simultaneously in one place. As such a cold state, it’s also an excellent place for ice fishing. If you’re interested in fishing during the winter, check out our list of the best ice fishing lakes in North Dakota.
Whether you’re a North Dakota native or simply interested in visiting the state for ice fishing, you’ll love checking out this list and learning more!
Lake of the Devils
Our list starts with Devils Lake, the second largest body of water in the state. It is a 122,000 acre lake with a maximum depth of over 59 feet. This lake is huge, so a multi-day fishing trip here is worth it. Plenty of coastal channels and creeks make it ideal for ice fishing.
In this lake, you will find a wide variety of fish that you can catch. These fish include bass, white bass, muskie, pike, walleye and perch. In fact, this lake is known for having a very healthy and large population of yellow perch fish. Locals have even called it the “perch capital” of the world. This is such a popular ice fishing destination that it is estimated that open water and ice fishing here generate over $20 million annually.
Lake Sakakawea
Created by Garrison Dam on the Missouri River, Lake Sakakawea is an incredibly popular spot for recreational activities such as fishing, hiking, boating, and camping.
Lake Sakakawea is located in central North Dakota. It is considered the largest artificial lake in the state. It is also the second largest lake in the United States by surface area alone. The surface area of the lake is a staggering 307,000 acres and the maximum depth it reaches is 180 feet. The reservoir was originally created due to the construction of the garrison dam. The lake is a very popular fishing destination, especially for ice fishing. Here you can catch many fish, including rainbow trout, smallmouth bass, cutthroat trout, walleye, perch and pike.
Lake Audubon
Anglers visit Lake Audobon for its wide variety of fish, including walleye, yellow perch and smallmouth bass.
Lake Audubon is actually considered a complementary “sister lake” to Lake Sakakawea. This lake is located in the west-central part of the state, in Coleharbor. Only an embankment separates both Audubon and Sakakawea. This embankment actually carries US Highway 83. This is a pretty decent sized lake with 16,612 surface acres. It is 59 feet deep at its deepest point. The lake is a popular fishing destination because it is stocked with a wide variety of fish. You can expect to catch bass, perch, bass and pike. These fish can be caught during all seasons, especially during the ice fishing season. Being close to Highway 83, this lake has easy access.
Metigoshe Lake
Located along the border of the United States and Canada, this lake is an incredibly popular summer and winter destination.
If you’re interested in an ice fishing excursion that includes great views, you won’t want to miss Lake Metigoshe. This lake is located in the absolutely beautiful Turtle Mountains. For those familiar with the area, the Turtle Mountains border the US and Canada. The lake has a surface area of 1,544 acres and a maximum depth of 24 feet.
Although most of the lake is in the United States, a portion still extends into Manitoba. The main types of fish you can expect to catch here include bass, sunfish, sunfish, perch, pike and walleye. However, when it comes to ice fishing, the most popular species caught during this type are crappie, perch and bluegill. Overall, this is a great place to ice fish if you are interested in big catches and want to witness a spectacular view.
Lake Renwick
As part of Iceland State Park, Renwick Lake is located off Highway 5 and is therefore very convenient to get to.
Renwick Dam is a dam located in the northeast corner of North Dakota. The dam was officially completed in 1962. The reservoir it created is then known as Lake Renwick. This lake has a water surface of 204 acres. Being located next to Iceland State Park, this lake offers a lot to see around it. When it comes to ice fishing, many anglers come here specifically for its abundance of pike. However, you can also catch bluegill here. It’s important to note, however, that accommodation here can be quite limited. This is important to know if you plan to extend your ice fishing trip for a couple of days.
Lake Darling
If you’re looking for an ice fishing spot that’s more private and remote, check out Darling Lake, known for its abundance of perch.
Northwest of Minot along the Upper Souris National Wildlife Refuge is Darling Lake. This is a great lake option for anglers who prefer to keep to themselves and want their ice fishing trip to feel private. The lake is named after Jay N. “Ding” Darling. He was the first director of the Bureau of Biological Survey. It has an area of almost 9,500 hectares.
There are nearly fifty miles of shoreline along this lake, so anglers can easily spread out and enjoy plenty of personal space. The fish that are caught here the most are sea bass and perch. In fact, many anglers come out here in the winter specifically for these two fish. However, you can also catch pike and smallmouth bass here.
Lake Oahe
There are more than 2,000 miles of shoreline along Lake Oahe, making it one of the best-known fishing spots in North Dakota.
Lake Oahe is not a secret destination if you know the area well enough. In fact, approximately 1.5 million people visit the lake every year. However, because of how great the area is, we just had to include it on our list! This lake is so big that it stretches across all of South Dakota and North Dakota. It has an area of 370,000 acres and a maximum depth of 205 feet.
When measured by volume, this lake is considered the fourth largest reservoir in the United States. There are many fish in the area, including walleye, trout, catfish, salmon and pike. The smallmouth bass here, however, are what attract so many anglers. They can grow quite large in Lake Oahe. Even salmon, walleye, and trout thrive in this lake. Catfish are another popular fish to catch during the ice fishing season.