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Fishing Fox Lake: what the data says
1,663-acre lake near Barnes County. North Dakota Game & Fish survey water. The lake tops out around 18 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 Fox Lake
In spring, walleye run shallow here, mostly 4 to 15 ft. Summer pushes them deeper, 5 to 18 ft, and winter fish settle into 5 to 18 ft. Break off the point is the standout, a drop-off at roughly 9 ft, rated prime for fall walleye. Best bite is the evening and early morning. Summer baits: a crawler harness on bottom bouncer or a deep crankbait (trolled) gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 4 to 15 ft | dusk & dawn | 1/8 oz jig + minnow, Hair jig |
| Summer | 5 to 18 ft | dusk & dawn | Crawler harness on bottom bouncer, Deep crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 5 to 18 ft | dusk & night | Jigging rap, Jig + big minnow |
| Winter | 5 to 18 ft | dusk & dawn | Jigging spoon + minnow head, Rattle bait |
Northern Pike fishing at Fox Lake
Start shallow in spring: northern pike sit in 2 to 8 ft that time of year. Summer pushes them deeper, 5 to 18 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 3 ft that scores prime in spring. Best bite is early morning and the evening. 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 | 5 to 18 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 Fox Lake
Spring yellow perch on Fox Lake hold shallow, usually 3 to 12 ft. By summer they slide out to 5 to 18 ft, and by winter most fish are in 5 to 18 ft. Shallow bay flat is the standout, a weed flat at roughly 3 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 | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | midday & dawn | Small jig + curly tail, Perch-pattern micro crank |
| Summer | 5 to 18 ft | dawn | Drop-shot micro plastics, Small spoon tipped with worm |
| Fall | 5 to 18 ft | midday | Jigging spoon (small), Perch rig / spreader |
| Winter | 5 to 18 ft | midday & dawn | Tungsten jig + spikes, Rattle spoon (small) |
Smallmouth Bass fishing at Fox Lake
Spring smallmouth bass on Fox Lake hold shallow, usually 3 to 12 ft. By summer they slide out to 5 to 18 ft, and by winter most fish are in 5 to 18 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Main-lake point: a point around 6 ft that scores prime in fall. Best bite is early morning and the evening. Summer baits: a drop shot (goby/minnow) or a ned rig gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dawn & dusk | Ned rig, Tube jig |
| Summer | 5 to 18 ft | dawn & dusk | Drop shot (goby/minnow), Ned rig |
| Fall | 5 to 18 ft | midday & dawn | Jerkbait, Blade bait |
| Winter | 5 to 18 ft | midday | Blade bait, Hair jig |
White Bass fishing at Fox Lake
In spring, white bass run shallow here, mostly 2 to 12 ft. They move out to 5 to 18 ft in summer and finish the year down in 5 to 18 ft. Main-lake point is the standout, a point at roughly 6 ft, rated prime for fall white bass. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 12 ft | dawn & dusk | see map |
| Summer | 5 to 18 ft | dawn & dusk | see map |
| Fall | 4 to 18 ft | dawn & dusk | see map |
| Winter | 5 to 18 ft | midday | see map |
Crappie fishing at Fox Lake
Spring crappie on Fox Lake hold shallow, usually 2 to 8 ft. They move out to 5 to 18 ft in summer and finish the year down in 5 to 18 ft. The spot to know is Deep basin, a deep basin in about 15 ft of water that rates prime for crappie in winter. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. A jig trolled/spider-rigged or a small crankbait (trolled) covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | 1/16 oz jig + tube, Curly-tail grub |
| Summer | 5 to 18 ft | dawn & dusk | Jig trolled/spider-rigged, Small crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 5 to 18 ft | dawn | Jig + minnow combo, Small swimbait (1.5-2") |
| Winter | 5 to 18 ft | midday | Tungsten jig + soft plastic, Tiny jigging spoon |
Fox Lake also holds bluegill (4 to 15 ft in summer), channel catfish (5 to 18 ft in summer). Pick any of them on the map above for rated spots and bait picks.
Notable structure
- Deep basin: deep basin, around 15 ft
- Break off the point: drop-off, around 9 ft
- Main-lake point: point, around 6 ft
- Secondary point: point, around 4 ft
- Shallow bay flat: weed flat, around 3 ft
- Back-bay flat: weed flat, around 2 ft
Common questions
How deep is Fox Lake?
Fox Lake is about 18 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 Fox Lake?
Anglers target smallmouth bass, walleye, white bass, northern pike, crappie, bluegill, channel catfish, yellow perch on Fox Lake.
Where is the best fishing spot on Fox Lake?
Break off the point is the top-rated area: a drop-off in about 9 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 Fox 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
Middle Eckelson · Island Lake · Eckelson Lake South · Kee Lake · Moon Lake · St. Mary's Lake
See how Fox Lake 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 every water on DepthScout. Bathymetry credit: state fisheries survey programs. How we build these maps. For fishing guidance only, never navigation.