Best walleye lakes in North Dakota
175 North Dakota waters hold walleye, 170 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. Low-light predator with reflective eyes. Feeds on structure edges at dawn, dusk and night.
- Devils Lake — 55 ft max · survey depth data · Walleye, White Bass, Northern Pike, Crappie
- Lake Darling — 24 ft max · survey depth data · Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Northern Pike, Yellow Perch
- Stump Lake — 75 ft max · survey depth data · Walleye, White Bass, Northern Pike, Yellow Perch
- 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
- Alkaline Lake — 23 ft max · survey depth data · Walleye, Northern Pike, Yellow Perch
- Horsehead Lake — 21 ft max · survey depth data · Walleye, 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
- Red River of the North — 8 ft max · Walleye, Northern Pike, Channel Catfish, Freshwater Drum
- Heart Butte Reservoir (Lake Tschida) — 48 ft max · survey depth data · Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, White Bass, Northern Pike
- Lake Audubon — 59.4 ft max · Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, White Bass, Northern Pike
- Twin Lakes — 40 ft max · survey depth data · Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, White Bass, Northern Pike
- Antelope Lake — 24 ft max · survey depth data · Walleye, Yellow Perch
- James River — 6 ft max · Walleye, Northern Pike, Crappie, Channel Catfish
- Reule Lake — 24 ft max · survey depth data · Walleye, Northern Pike, Yellow Perch
- 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
- Sheyenne River — 6 ft max · Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Northern Pike, Channel Catfish
- 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
- Mud and Pearl Lakes — 20 ft max · survey depth data · Walleye, Yellow Perch
- 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
…plus 150 more North Dakota waters holding walleye.
When to fish walleye in North Dakota
- Spring 4–15 ft — Spawning runs to gravel shoals, rocky shorelines and inflows.
- Summer 15–35 ft — Deep humps and breaklines by day; edges and flats in low light.
- Fall 12–40 ft — Fish steep structure near deep basins; big fish move shallow at night.
- Winter 20–40 ft — Deep basin flats and humps; short dawn/dusk feeding windows.
Also in North Dakota: best largemouth bass lakes · best smallmouth bass lakes · best white bass lakes · best northern pike lakes · best crappie 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
Walleye elsewhere: Ontario · Minnesota · Québec · Michigan · Montana · Wyoming · Iowa · Indiana · Nebraska · Ohio · Utah · Colorado · South Dakota · New York · Wisconsin · Kentucky · Arizona · Illinois · Kansas · Oklahoma · Tennessee · Missouri · Manitoba · Alberta · Georgia · Vermont · West Virginia · Pennsylvania