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1,700-acre lake near Bowman. The lake tops out around 28 ft. The depth chart is built from real state fisheries GPS surveys, so the humps, channels and drop-offs you see are measured, not guessed. The season-by-season read for each species follows, from the map's own numbers.
The drawn water covers 2,023 acres wrapped in 19.1 miles of bank, with a single island in the mix. A development index of 3 means a maze of bays and points: far more casting targets than a round bowl of the same size. Roughly 74% of the water is 15 ft or less, the band where the food chain lives. Figure 4.1 mi of water from one end to the other, 2.3 mi at the beam. It sits in Bowman County. If the bite dies, Gascoyne Lake is 14 mi to the northeast.
Start shallow in spring: walleye sit in 4 to 15 ft that time of year. Warm water sends them out to 8 to 28 ft; cold water stacks them in 8 to 28 ft. Top water on the chart: Deep basin, a deep basin in the 26 ft range, prime in winter. Fish it in the evening and early morning and you'll meet the bite. Throw a crawler harness on bottom bouncer or a deep crankbait (trolled) until the fish tell you otherwise.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 4 to 15 ft | dusk & dawn | Main-lake point (3 ft) | 1/8 oz jig + minnow, Hair jig |
| Summer | 8 to 28 ft | dusk & dawn | Deep basin (26 ft) | Crawler harness on bottom bouncer, Deep crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 8 to 28 ft | dusk & night | Deep basin (26 ft) | Jigging rap, Jig + big minnow |
| Winter | 8 to 28 ft | dusk & dawn | Deep basin (26 ft) | Jigging spoon + minnow head, Rattle bait |
Spring northern pike on Bowman-Haley Dam hold shallow, usually 2 to 8 ft. They move out to 8 to 20 ft in summer and finish the year down in 5 to 15 ft. Put Shallow bay flat first on the milk run — a weed flat near 2 ft that grades prime for spring. The feeding windows run early morning and the evening. The summer box starts with a bucktail or a weedless spoon over cabbage.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (2 ft) | #5 inline spinner, Spoon (red/white) |
| Summer | 8 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow feeding flat (20 ft) | Bucktail, Weedless spoon over cabbage |
| Fall | 6 to 18 ft | midday & dawn | Back-bay flat (5 ft) | Big rubber (Bull Dawg style), Husky-style jerkbait |
| Winter | 5 to 15 ft | midday | Back-bay flat (5 ft) | Tip-ups, Large jigging spoon |
Spring crappie on Bowman-Haley Dam hold shallow, usually 2 to 8 ft. They move out to 10 to 25 ft in summer and finish the year down in 8 to 28 ft. Put Deep basin first on the milk run — a deep basin near 26 ft that grades prime for winter. The feeding windows run early morning and the evening. The summer box starts with a jig trolled/spider-rigged or a small crankbait (trolled).
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (2 ft) | 1/16 oz jig + tube, Curly-tail grub |
| Summer | 10 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow feeding flat (20 ft) | Jig trolled/spider-rigged, Small crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 8 to 20 ft | dawn | Shallow feeding flat (20 ft) | Jig + minnow combo, Small swimbait (1.5-2") |
| Winter | 8 to 28 ft | midday | Deep basin (26 ft) | Tungsten jig + soft plastic, Tiny jigging spoon |
Spring puts yellow perch in skinny water — 3 to 12 ft is the zone. Warm water sends them out to 8 to 28 ft; cold water stacks them in 8 to 28 ft. Back-bay flat is the standout, a weed flat at roughly 5 ft, rated prime for spring yellow perch. Plan around early morning in the warm months. A drop-shot micro plastics or a small spoon tipped with worm covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | midday & dawn | Back-bay flat (5 ft) | Small jig + curly tail, Perch-pattern micro crank |
| Summer | 8 to 28 ft | dawn | Deep basin (26 ft) | Drop-shot micro plastics, Small spoon tipped with worm |
| Fall | 8 to 28 ft | midday | Deep basin (26 ft) | Jigging spoon (small), Perch rig / spreader |
| Winter | 8 to 28 ft | midday & dawn | Deep basin (26 ft) | Tungsten jig + spikes, Rattle spoon (small) |
Spring smallmouth bass on Bowman-Haley Dam hold shallow, usually 3 to 12 ft. They move out to 8 to 28 ft in summer and finish the year down in 8 to 28 ft. Put Main-lake point first on the milk run — a point near 3 ft that grades prime for spring. The feeding windows run early morning and the evening. The summer box starts with a drop shot (goby/minnow) or a ned rig.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (3 ft) | Ned rig, Tube jig |
| Summer | 8 to 28 ft | dawn & dusk | Break off the point (2 ft) | Drop shot (goby/minnow), Ned rig |
| Fall | 8 to 25 ft | midday & dawn | Main-lake point (3 ft) | Jerkbait, Blade bait |
| Winter | 8 to 28 ft | midday | Break off the point (2 ft) | Blade bait, Hair jig |
Start shallow in spring: white bass sit in 2 to 12 ft that time of year. Summer pushes them deeper, 8 to 25 ft, and winter fish settle into 8 to 28 ft. The spot to know is Deep basin, a deep basin in about 26 ft of water that rates prime for white bass in winter. Warm-month bites cluster around early morning and the evening. Throw a slab spoon or a small topwater (schooling fish) until the fish tell you otherwise.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 12 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (3 ft) | Curly-tail jig (white), Small lipless crank |
| Summer | 8 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | Deep basin (26 ft) | Slab spoon, Small topwater (schooling fish) |
| Fall | 6 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (3 ft) | Jigging spoon, Blade bait |
| Winter | 8 to 28 ft | midday | Deep basin (26 ft) | Jigging spoon (deep), Blade bait |
Bowman-Haley Dam also holds bluegill (4 to 15 ft in summer), common carp (3 to 15 ft in summer). Pick any of them on the map above for rated spots and bait picks.
Bowman-Haley Dam carries 7 mapped structure features, topping out (or rather bottoming out) at Deep basin, about 26 ft down.
Access data: North Dakota Game & Fish — Fishing Facilities. Confirm conditions and fees locally before you launch.
Season dates, license requirements, and size and bag limits for North Dakota waters are set by the North Dakota Game and Fish — and special regulations can apply to Bowman-Haley Dam specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official North Dakota fishing regulations →
Bowman-Haley Dam is about 28 ft (9 m) deep at its deepest point. The depth chart here comes from real state fisheries GPS surveys, so the contours reflect measured depths.
Anglers target walleye, northern pike, crappie, yellow perch, smallmouth bass, white bass, bluegill, common carp on Bowman-Haley Dam.
Deep basin is the top-rated area: a deep basin in about 26 ft of water that rates prime for walleye in winter. Open the map above to see every rated spot for each species and season.
For walleye, the summer bite is best in the evening and early morning. Each species page section below lists the seasonal windows, and the map shows a live NOW badge when you're inside one.
Fishing on Bowman-Haley Dam is regulated by the North Dakota Game and Fish. Check the official North Dakota regulations for current license requirements, season dates, and size and bag limits — special regulations can apply to this specific water.
Gascoyne Lake 14 mi · Cedar Lake 26 mi · Mirror Lake 30 mi · Indian Creek Dam 39 mi · Larson Lake 48 mi · South Sandstone Reservoir 63 mi, MT · Dickinson Reservoir (Patterson Lake) 64 mi · Camels Hump Lake 72 mi · Sheep Creek Dam 72 mi · Morristown East Lake 78 mi, SD · Heart Butte Reservoir (Lake Tschida) 79 mi · Odland Dam 81 mi
See how Bowman-Haley Dam stacks up: best smallmouth bass lakes in North Dakota · best walleye lakes in North Dakota · best white bass lakes in North Dakota · best northern pike lakes in North Dakota
Browse all North Dakota fishing maps or see every water on DepthScout. Bathymetry credit: state fisheries survey programs. How we build these maps. Fish here with a sonar unit that logs? Send us your depth data and we'll improve this chart, credited to you. For fishing guidance only, never navigation.