Best bluegill lakes in North Dakota
89 North Dakota waters hold bluegill, 88 mapped with real state-agency depth surveys. Ranked below by size and depth-data quality — open any water to see exactly where to fish it: depth contours, scored spots with plain-English reasons, seasonal windows and bait picks. The classic panfish. Shallow cover in summer, deeper weed edges otherwise.
- Lake Ashtabula — 42 ft max · survey depth data · Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, White Bass, Northern Pike
- Dry Lake — 24 ft max · survey depth data · Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, White Bass, Northern Pike
- Missouri River — 31 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, White Bass
- Jamestown Reservoir — 30 ft max · survey depth data · Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Northern Pike, Crappie
- Heart Butte Reservoir (Lake Tschida) — 48 ft max · survey depth data · Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, White Bass, Northern Pike
- Twin Lakes — 40 ft max · survey depth data · Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, White Bass, Northern Pike
- Bowman-Haley Dam — 28 ft max · survey depth data · Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, White Bass, Northern Pike
- Goose Lake — 20 ft max · survey depth data · Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, White Bass, Northern Pike
- West Lake Napoleon — 11 ft max · survey depth data · Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, White Bass, Northern Pike
- Lake Metigoshe — 23 ft max · survey depth data · Walleye, Northern Pike, Crappie, Bluegill
- Dickinson Reservoir (Patterson Lake) — 22 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Walleye, Northern Pike, Crappie
- Alkali Lake — 23 ft max · survey depth data · Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, White Bass, Northern Pike
- Sibley Lake — 28 ft max · survey depth data · Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, White Bass, Northern Pike
- New Johns Lake — 28 ft max · survey depth data · Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Northern Pike, Bluegill
- Clear Lake — 16 ft max · survey depth data · Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, White Bass, Northern Pike
- Nelson Lake — 32 ft max · survey depth data · Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, White Bass, Northern Pike
- Grass Lake — 13 ft max · survey depth data · Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, White Bass, Northern Pike
- Beaver Lake — 7 ft max · survey depth data · Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, White Bass, Northern Pike
- Cottonwood Lake — 13 ft max · survey depth data · Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, White Bass, Northern Pike
- Fox Lake — 18 ft max · survey depth data · Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, White Bass, Northern Pike
- Riverdale Spillway Lake — 45 ft max · survey depth data · Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, White Bass, Northern Pike
- Gullys Slough — 14 ft max · survey depth data · Walleye, Northern Pike, Bluegill, Yellow Perch
- Schumacher Lake — 11 ft max · survey depth data · Walleye, Bluegill, Yellow Perch
- Pheasant Lake — 19 ft max · survey depth data · Northern Pike, Crappie, Bluegill, Yellow Perch
- Miller Lake — 16 ft max · survey depth data · Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, White Bass, Northern Pike
…plus 64 more North Dakota waters holding bluegill.
When to fish bluegill in North Dakota
- Spring 1–6 ft — Bedding colonies on sandy shallow flats — sight-fish the light spots.
- Summer 4–15 ft — Weed edges and dock shade; bigger 'gills hold slightly deeper.
- Fall 6–18 ft — Schools tighten on remaining green weeds and first drops.
- Winter 10–25 ft — Soft-bottom basins with invertebrates; finesse presentations.
Also in North Dakota: best largemouth bass lakes · best smallmouth bass lakes · best walleye lakes · best white bass lakes · best northern pike lakes · best crappie lakes · best channel catfish lakes · best rainbow trout lakes · best muskellunge lakes · best yellow perch lakes · best common carp lakes · best goldeye lakes
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