Best crappie lakes in North Dakota
67 North Dakota waters hold crappie, 65 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. Schooling panfish that suspends around timber, brush and creek channels.
- Devils Lake — 55 ft max · survey depth data · Walleye, White Bass, Northern Pike, Crappie
- 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
- James River — 6 ft max · Walleye, Northern Pike, Crappie, Channel Catfish
- Mount Carmel Dam — 18 ft max · survey depth data · Walleye, Northern Pike, Crappie, Yellow Perch
- 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
- Pipestem Reservoir — 26 ft max · survey depth data · Walleye, Northern Pike, Crappie, Yellow Perch
- Sibley Lake — 28 ft max · survey depth data · Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, White Bass, Northern Pike
- Lake Josephine — 20 ft max · survey depth data · Walleye, Northern Pike, Crappie, Yellow Perch
- 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
- Trenton Lake — 8 ft max · survey depth data · Walleye, White Bass, Northern Pike, Crappie
- 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
…plus 42 more North Dakota waters holding crappie.
When to fish crappie in North Dakota
- Spring 2–8 ft — The famous spring bite: brush, timber and docks in protected shallow pockets.
- Summer 10–25 ft — Find suspended schools over channel-edge brush piles and deep timber.
- Fall 8–20 ft — Schools follow shad into creeks; fish channel bends with cover.
- Winter 15–35 ft — Tight schools in deep holes and channel bends; slow 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 bluegill 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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