James River Fishing Map (ND)

Fishing James River: what the data says

Jamestown to LaMoure The river tops out around 6 ft. The contours are modeled from the water's real shoreline and maximum depth. Treat them as a rough guide, and never use them for navigation. Below is the species-by-species picture, pulled from the same data the map uses.

Walleye fishing at James River

Start shallow in spring: walleye sit in 2 to 6 ft that time of year. Summer fish stay in 2 to 6 ft, and winter fish hold in 2 to 6 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Riffle & run (mile 2.5): a rock pile around 3 ft that scores prime in spring. 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	2 to 6 ft	dusk & dawn	1/8 oz jig + minnow, Hair jig
Summer	2 to 6 ft	dusk & dawn	Crawler harness on bottom bouncer, Deep crankbait (trolled)
Fall	2 to 6 ft	dusk & night	Jigging rap, Jig + big minnow
Winter	2 to 6 ft	dusk & dawn	Jigging spoon + minnow head, Rattle bait

Northern Pike fishing at James River

In spring, northern pike run shallow here, mostly 2 to 6 ft. Summer fish stay in 2 to 6 ft, and winter fish hold in 2 to 6 ft. Inside bend (mile 16.2) is the standout, a point at roughly 5 ft, rated prime for fall northern pike. Best bite is 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 6 ft	midday & dawn	#5 inline spinner, Spoon (red/white)
Summer	2 to 6 ft	dawn & dusk	Bucktail, Weedless spoon over cabbage
Fall	2 to 6 ft	midday & dawn	Big rubber (Bull Dawg style), Husky-style jerkbait
Winter	2 to 6 ft	midday	Tip-ups, Large jigging spoon

Channel Catfish fishing at James River

Start shallow in spring: channel catfish sit in 2 to 6 ft that time of year. Summer fish stay in 2 to 6 ft, and winter fish hold in 2 to 6 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Outside-bend hole (mile 0.6): a creek channel around 5 ft that scores prime in summer. In summer the feeding windows fall in after dark and the evening.

Season	Depth	Best window
Spring	2 to 6 ft	dusk
Summer	2 to 6 ft	night & dusk
Fall	2 to 6 ft	dusk
Winter	2 to 6 ft	midday

Crappie fishing at James River

In spring, crappie run shallow here, mostly 2 to 6 ft. Summer fish stay in 2 to 6 ft, and winter fish hold in 2 to 6 ft. Outside-bend hole (mile 0.6) is the standout, a creek channel at roughly 5 ft, rated prime for fall crappie. 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 6 ft	midday & dawn	1/16 oz jig + tube, Curly-tail grub
Summer	2 to 6 ft	dawn & dusk	Jig trolled/spider-rigged, Small crankbait (trolled)
Fall	2 to 6 ft	dawn	Jig + minnow combo, Small swimbait (1.5-2")
Winter	2 to 6 ft	midday	Tungsten jig + soft plastic, Tiny jigging spoon

Yellow Perch fishing at James River

In spring, yellow perch run shallow here, mostly 2 to 6 ft. Summer fish stay in 2 to 6 ft, and winter fish hold in 2 to 6 ft. The spot to know is Eddy pocket (mile 36.5), a eddy pocket in about 5 ft of water that rates prime for yellow perch in fall. In summer the feeding windows fall in 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	2 to 6 ft	midday & dawn	Small jig + curly tail, Perch-pattern micro crank
Summer	2 to 6 ft	dawn	Drop-shot micro plastics, Small spoon tipped with worm
Fall	2 to 6 ft	midday	Jigging spoon (small), Perch rig / spreader
Winter	2 to 6 ft	midday & dawn	Tungsten jig + spikes, Rattle spoon (small)

Notable structure

Outside-bend hole (mile 0.6): creek channel, around 5 ft
Outside-bend hole (mile 4.7): creek channel, around 5 ft
Outside-bend hole (mile 6.8): creek channel, around 5 ft
Outside-bend hole (mile 9.0): creek channel, around 5 ft
Outside-bend hole (mile 10.9): creek channel, around 5 ft
Outside-bend hole (mile 14.9): creek channel, around 5 ft
Outside-bend hole (mile 17.4): creek channel, around 5 ft
Outside-bend hole (mile 19.3): creek channel, around 5 ft
Outside-bend hole (mile 23.0): creek channel, around 5 ft
Outside-bend hole (mile 24.9): creek channel, around 5 ft
Outside-bend hole (mile 31.1): creek channel, around 5 ft
Outside-bend hole (mile 32.9): creek channel, around 5 ft
Outside-bend hole (mile 35.4): creek channel, around 5 ft
Outside-bend hole (mile 37.9): creek channel, around 5 ft

Common questions

How deep is James River?

James River is about 6 ft at its deepest point. The contours here are modeled from the water's real shape and maximum depth, so treat them as a rough guide.

What fish are in James River?

Anglers target walleye, northern pike, crappie, channel catfish, yellow perch on James River.

Where is the best fishing spot on James River?

Outside-bend hole (mile 0.6) is the top-rated area: a creek channel in about 5 ft of water that rates prime for channel catfish in summer. Open the map above to see every rated spot for each species and season.

When is the best time to fish James River?

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

Boom Lake · Island Lake · Kee Lake · Twin Lakes · Eckelson Lake South · Middle Eckelson

See how James River stacks up: best walleye lakes in North Dakota · best northern pike lakes in North Dakota · best crappie lakes in North Dakota · best channel catfish lakes in North Dakota

Browse all North Dakota fishing maps or every water on DepthScout. How we build these maps. For fishing guidance only, never navigation.

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