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Fishing Dorfman Lake: what the data says
1,433-acre lake near North Dakota. North Dakota Game & Fish survey water. The lake tops out around 34 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. What follows comes from the same scoring engine that paints the spots above.
Walleye fishing at Dorfman Lake
In spring, walleye run shallow here, mostly 4 to 15 ft. They move out to 10 to 34 ft in summer and finish the year down in 10 to 34 ft. The spot to know is Break off the point, a drop-off in about 27 ft of water that rates prime for walleye in fall. In summer the feeding windows fall in the evening and early morning. Tie on a crawler harness on bottom bouncer or a deep crankbait (trolled) and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 4 to 15 ft | dusk & dawn | 1/8 oz jig + minnow, Hair jig |
| Summer | 10 to 34 ft | dusk & dawn | Crawler harness on bottom bouncer, Deep crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 10 to 34 ft | dusk & night | Jigging rap, Jig + big minnow |
| Winter | 10 to 34 ft | dusk & dawn | Jigging spoon + minnow head, Rattle bait |
Northern Pike fishing at Dorfman Lake
Spring northern pike on Dorfman Lake hold shallow, usually 2 to 8 ft. Summer pushes them deeper, 8 to 20 ft, and winter fish settle into 5 to 15 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Shallow bay flat: a weed flat around 2 ft that scores prime in spring. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. A bucktail or a weedless spoon over cabbage covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | #5 inline spinner, Spoon (red/white) |
| Summer | 8 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Bucktail, Weedless spoon over cabbage |
| Fall | 6 to 18 ft | midday & dawn | Big rubber (Bull Dawg style), Husky-style jerkbait |
| Winter | 5 to 15 ft | midday | Tip-ups, Large jigging spoon |
Yellow Perch fishing at Dorfman Lake
In spring, yellow perch run shallow here, mostly 3 to 12 ft. Summer pushes them deeper, 10 to 30 ft, and winter fish settle into 10 to 34 ft. Back-bay flat is the standout, a weed flat at roughly 3 ft, rated prime for spring yellow perch. Best bite is early morning. Tie on a drop-shot micro plastics or a small spoon tipped with worm and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | midday & dawn | Small jig + curly tail, Perch-pattern micro crank |
| Summer | 10 to 30 ft | dawn | Drop-shot micro plastics, Small spoon tipped with worm |
| Fall | 10 to 34 ft | midday | Jigging spoon (small), Perch rig / spreader |
| Winter | 10 to 34 ft | midday & dawn | Tungsten jig + spikes, Rattle spoon (small) |
Notable structure
- Deep basin: deep basin, around 34 ft
- Break off the point: drop-off, around 27 ft
- Shallow feeding flat: feeding flat, around 20 ft
- Shallow feeding flat: feeding flat, around 9 ft
- Secondary point: point, around 7 ft
- Main-lake point: point, around 3 ft
- Back-bay flat: weed flat, around 3 ft
- Shallow bay flat: weed flat, around 2 ft
Common questions
How deep is Dorfman Lake?
Dorfman Lake is about 34 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 Dorfman Lake?
Anglers target walleye, northern pike, yellow perch on Dorfman Lake.
Where is the best fishing spot on Dorfman Lake?
Break off the point is the top-rated area: a drop-off in about 27 ft of water that rates prime for walleye in fall. Open the map above to see every rated spot for each species and season.
When is the best time to fish Dorfman Lake?
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.
Nearby waters
Dry Lake · Lake Hoskins · Pfeifle Lake · Green Lake · Kislingbury Lake · Nagel Lake
See how Dorfman Lake stacks up: best walleye lakes in North Dakota · 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.