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Fishing Heart Butte Reservoir (Lake Tschida): what the data says
3,400-acre lake near Glen Ullin. The lake tops out around 48 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 Heart Butte Reservoir (Lake Tschida)
Spring walleye on Heart Butte Reservoir (Lake Tschida) hold shallow, usually 4 to 15 ft. By summer they slide out to 15 to 35 ft, and by winter most fish are in 20 to 40 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Sharp break: a drop-off around 32 ft that scores prime in fall. Best bite is 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 | 15 to 35 ft | dusk & dawn | Crawler harness on bottom bouncer, Deep crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 12 to 40 ft | dusk & night | Jigging rap, Jig + big minnow |
| Winter | 20 to 40 ft | dusk & dawn | Jigging spoon + minnow head, Rattle bait |
Northern Pike fishing at Heart Butte Reservoir (Lake Tschida)
In spring, northern pike run shallow here, mostly 2 to 8 ft. They move out to 8 to 20 ft in summer and finish the year down in 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. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning and the evening. Tie on a bucktail or a weedless spoon over cabbage and you're in the game.
| 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 |
Crappie fishing at Heart Butte Reservoir (Lake Tschida)
Start shallow in spring: crappie sit in 2 to 8 ft that time of year. Summer pushes them deeper, 10 to 25 ft, and winter fish settle into 15 to 35 ft. Shallow bay flat is the standout, a weed flat at roughly 2 ft, rated prime for spring crappie. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. Summer baits: a jig trolled/spider-rigged or a small crankbait (trolled) gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | 1/16 oz jig + tube, Curly-tail grub |
| Summer | 10 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | Jig trolled/spider-rigged, Small crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 8 to 20 ft | dawn | Jig + minnow combo, Small swimbait (1.5-2") |
| Winter | 15 to 35 ft | midday | Tungsten jig + soft plastic, Tiny jigging spoon |
Channel Catfish fishing at Heart Butte Reservoir (Lake Tschida)
Spring channel catfish on Heart Butte Reservoir (Lake Tschida) hold shallow, usually 3 to 12 ft. Summer pushes them deeper, 8 to 25 ft, and winter fish settle into 20 to 40 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Shallow feeding flat: a feeding flat around 17 ft that scores prime in summer. Best bite is after dark and the evening.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dusk | |
| Summer | 8 to 25 ft | night & dusk | |
| Fall | 10 to 30 ft | dusk | |
| Winter | 20 to 40 ft | midday |
White Bass fishing at Heart Butte Reservoir (Lake Tschida)
In spring, white bass run shallow here, mostly 2 to 12 ft. By summer they slide out to 8 to 25 ft, and by winter most fish are in 15 to 40 ft. Main-lake point is the standout, a point at roughly 7 ft, rated prime for fall white bass. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning and the evening.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 12 ft | dawn & dusk | see map |
| Summer | 8 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | see map |
| Fall | 6 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | see map |
| Winter | 15 to 40 ft | midday | see map |
Yellow Perch fishing at Heart Butte Reservoir (Lake Tschida)
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 15 to 35 ft. Back-bay flat is the standout, a weed flat at roughly 8 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 | 12 to 35 ft | midday | Jigging spoon (small), Perch rig / spreader |
| Winter | 15 to 35 ft | midday & dawn | Tungsten jig + spikes, Rattle spoon (small) |
Heart Butte Reservoir (Lake Tschida) also holds smallmouth bass (10 to 30 ft in summer), bluegill (4 to 15 ft in summer), goldeye (2 to 10 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.
Notable structure
- Deep basin: deep basin, around 48 ft
- Sharp break: drop-off, around 32 ft
- Shallow feeding flat: feeding flat, around 18 ft
- Shallow feeding flat: feeding flat, around 17 ft
- Sharp break: drop-off, around 9 ft
- Back-bay flat: weed flat, around 8 ft
- Break off the point: drop-off, around 8 ft
- Main-lake point: point, around 7 ft
- Sharp break: drop-off, around 6 ft
- Secondary point: point, around 4 ft
- Shoreline point: point, around 3 ft
- Shallow bay flat: weed flat, around 2 ft
- Rock reef: rock pile, around 2 ft
Common questions
How deep is Heart Butte Reservoir (Lake Tschida)?
Heart Butte Reservoir (Lake Tschida) is about 48 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 Heart Butte Reservoir (Lake Tschida)?
Anglers target smallmouth bass, walleye, white bass, northern pike, crappie, bluegill, channel catfish, yellow perch, common carp, goldeye on Heart Butte Reservoir (Lake Tschida).
Where is the best fishing spot on Heart Butte Reservoir (Lake Tschida)?
Sharp break is the top-rated area: a drop-off in about 32 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 Heart Butte Reservoir (Lake Tschida)?
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
Sheep Creek Dam · Danzig Dam · Raleigh Reservoir · Larson Lake · Sweet Briar Lake · Indian Creek Dam
See how Heart Butte Reservoir (Lake Tschida) 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.