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Fishing Cavanaugh Lake: what the data says
566-acre lake near North Dakota. North Dakota Game & Fish survey water. The lake tops out around 14 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. Here is how the season plays out for each species, straight from the data behind the map.
Northern Pike fishing at Cavanaugh Lake
Start shallow in spring: northern pike sit in 2 to 8 ft that time of year. They move out to 4 to 14 ft in summer and finish the year down in 4 to 14 ft. The spot to know is Shallow bay flat, a weed flat in about 6 ft of water that rates prime for northern pike in spring. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. Summer baits: a bucktail or a weedless spoon over cabbage gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | #5 inline spinner, Spoon (red/white) |
| Summer | 4 to 14 ft | dawn & dusk | Bucktail, Weedless spoon over cabbage |
| Fall | 4 to 14 ft | midday & dawn | Big rubber (Bull Dawg style), Husky-style jerkbait |
| Winter | 4 to 14 ft | midday | Tip-ups, Large jigging spoon |
Yellow Perch fishing at Cavanaugh Lake
Spring yellow perch on Cavanaugh Lake hold shallow, usually 3 to 12 ft. They move out to 4 to 14 ft in summer and finish the year down in 4 to 14 ft. The spot to know is Shallow bay flat, a weed flat in about 6 ft of water that rates prime for yellow perch in spring. Plan around early morning in the warm months. Summer baits: a drop-shot micro plastics or a small spoon tipped with worm gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | midday & dawn | Small jig + curly tail, Perch-pattern micro crank |
| Summer | 4 to 14 ft | dawn | Drop-shot micro plastics, Small spoon tipped with worm |
| Fall | 4 to 14 ft | midday | Jigging spoon (small), Perch rig / spreader |
| Winter | 4 to 14 ft | midday & dawn | Tungsten jig + spikes, Rattle spoon (small) |
Notable structure
- Deep basin: deep basin, around 14 ft
- Break off the point: drop-off, around 7 ft
- Shallow bay flat: weed flat, around 6 ft
- Secondary point: point, around 3 ft
- Back-bay flat: weed flat, around 3 ft
- Main-lake point: point, around 2 ft
Common questions
How deep is Cavanaugh Lake?
Cavanaugh Lake is about 14 ft at its deepest point. The depth chart here comes from real state fisheries GPS surveys, so the contours reflect measured depths.
What fish are in Cavanaugh Lake?
Anglers target northern pike, yellow perch on Cavanaugh Lake.
Where is the best fishing spot on Cavanaugh Lake?
Shallow bay flat is the top-rated area: a weed flat in about 6 ft of water that rates prime for northern pike in spring. Open the map above to see every rated spot for each species and season.
When is the best time to fish Cavanaugh Lake?
For northern pike, the summer bite is best in early morning and the evening. Each species page section below lists the seasonal windows, and the map shows a live NOW badge when you're inside one.
Nearby waters
Devils Lake · Wood Lake · Fenster Lake · Warsing Dam · Battle Lake · North Lake Washington
See how Cavanaugh Lake stacks up: best northern pike lakes in North Dakota · best yellow perch lakes in North Dakota
Browse all North Dakota fishing maps or every water on DepthScout. Bathymetry credit: state fisheries survey programs. How we build these maps. For fishing guidance only, never navigation.