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5,234-acre reservoir near Valley City. The lake tops out around 42 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. The rest of this page walks each species through its year, using the map's own scoring.
The outline encloses 5,465 acres, worked by 78.3 miles of shoreline, broken up by 13 islands. That shoreline is heavily fingered (development index 7.6) — bays, points and pockets everywhere, which multiplies the fishable edge. Roughly 91% of the water is 15 ft or less, the band where the food chain lives. The basin spans about 21 mi end to end and 5.8 mi across at its widest. It sits in Barnes County. Its nearest charted neighbour, Mosher WPA, is 4 mi to the northwest.
Start shallow in spring: walleye sit in 4 to 15 ft that time of year. Warm water sends them out to 15 to 35 ft; cold water stacks them in 20 to 40 ft. Top water on the chart: Gravel shoal, a gravel shoal in the 5 ft range, prime in spring. Fish it in the evening and early morning and you'll meet the bite. Throw a crawler harness on bottom bouncer or a deep crankbait (trolled) until the fish tell you otherwise.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 4 to 15 ft | dusk & dawn | Gravel shoal (5 ft) | 1/8 oz jig + minnow, Hair jig |
| Summer | 15 to 35 ft | dusk & dawn | Sharp break (19 ft) | Crawler harness on bottom bouncer, Deep crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 12 to 40 ft | dusk & night | Sharp break (19 ft) | Jigging rap, Jig + big minnow |
| Winter | 20 to 40 ft | dusk & dawn | Deep basin (21 ft) | Jigging spoon + minnow head, Rattle bait |
Spring northern pike on Lake Ashtabula hold shallow, usually 2 to 8 ft. They move out to 8 to 20 ft in summer and finish the year down in 5 to 15 ft. Put Weed flat first on the milk run — a weed flat near 2 ft that grades prime for spring. The feeding windows run early morning and the evening. The summer box starts with a bucktail or a weedless spoon over cabbage.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | Weed flat (2 ft) | #5 inline spinner, Spoon (red/white) |
| Summer | 8 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (11 ft) | Bucktail, Weedless spoon over cabbage |
| Fall | 6 to 18 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (11 ft) | Big rubber (Bull Dawg style), Husky-style jerkbait |
| Winter | 5 to 15 ft | midday | Shallow bay flat (11 ft) | Tip-ups, Large jigging spoon |
Start shallow in spring: white bass sit in 2 to 12 ft that time of year. Summer pushes them deeper, 8 to 25 ft, and winter fish settle into 15 to 40 ft. The spot to know is Main-lake point, a point in about 7 ft of water that rates prime for white bass in fall. Warm-month bites cluster around early morning and the evening. Throw a slab spoon or a small topwater (schooling fish) until the fish tell you otherwise.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 12 ft | dawn & dusk | Gravel shoal (5 ft) | Curly-tail jig (white), Small lipless crank |
| Summer | 8 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (7 ft) | Slab spoon, Small topwater (schooling fish) |
| Fall | 6 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (7 ft) | Jigging spoon, Blade bait |
| Winter | 15 to 40 ft | midday | Deep basin (21 ft) | Jigging spoon (deep), Blade bait |
Spring crappie on Lake Ashtabula hold shallow, usually 2 to 8 ft. They move out to 10 to 25 ft in summer and finish the year down in 15 to 35 ft. Put Deep basin first on the milk run — a deep basin near 21 ft that grades prime for winter. The feeding windows run early morning and the evening. The summer box starts with a jig trolled/spider-rigged or a small crankbait (trolled).
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | Weed flat (2 ft) | 1/16 oz jig + tube, Curly-tail grub |
| Summer | 10 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (11 ft) | Jig trolled/spider-rigged, Small crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 8 to 20 ft | dawn | Shallow bay flat (11 ft) | Jig + minnow combo, Small swimbait (1.5-2") |
| Winter | 15 to 35 ft | midday | Deep basin (21 ft) | Tungsten jig + soft plastic, Tiny jigging spoon |
Spring smallmouth bass on Lake Ashtabula hold shallow, usually 3 to 12 ft. They move out to 10 to 30 ft in summer and finish the year down in 13 to 42 ft. Put Sharp break first on the milk run — a drop-off near 19 ft that grades prime for winter. The feeding windows run early morning and the evening. The summer box starts with a drop shot (goby/minnow) or a ned rig.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dawn & dusk | Gravel shoal (5 ft) | Ned rig, Tube jig |
| Summer | 10 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Sharp break (19 ft) | Drop shot (goby/minnow), Ned rig |
| Fall | 8 to 25 ft | midday & dawn | Main-lake point (7 ft) | Jerkbait, Blade bait |
| Winter | 13 to 42 ft | midday | Sharp break (19 ft) | Blade bait, Hair jig |
Spring muskellunge on Lake Ashtabula hold shallow, usually 3 to 12 ft. By summer they slide out to 8 to 25 ft, and by winter most fish are in 15 to 35 ft. The chart's best answer is Sharp break — drop-off, 19 ft, prime for fall. Prime time lands in the evening and early morning. The summer box starts with a double-10 bucktail or a topwater (walk-the-dog / creeper).
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dusk | Shallow bay flat (11 ft) | Smaller bucktail (#8 blades), 6" glide bait |
| Summer | 8 to 25 ft | dusk & dawn | Shallow bay flat (11 ft) | Double-10 bucktail, Topwater (walk-the-dog / creeper) |
| Fall | 8 to 30 ft | midday & dusk | Sharp break (19 ft) | Big rubber (Bull Dawg style), 10"+ glide bait |
| Winter | 15 to 35 ft | midday | Deep basin (21 ft) | Large rubber, crawled slow |
Lake Ashtabula also holds yellow perch (10 to 30 ft in summer), bluegill (4 to 15 ft in summer). Pick any of them on the map above for rated spots and bait picks.
Lake Ashtabula carries 17 mapped structure features, topping out (or rather bottoming out) at Deep basin, about 21 ft down.
Access data: North Dakota Game & Fish — Fishing Facilities. Confirm conditions and fees locally before you launch.
Season dates, license requirements, and size and bag limits for North Dakota waters are set by the North Dakota Game and Fish — and special regulations can apply to Lake Ashtabula specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official North Dakota fishing regulations →
Lake Ashtabula is about 42 ft (13 m) deep at its deepest point. The depth chart here comes from real state fisheries GPS surveys, so the contours reflect measured depths.
Anglers target walleye, northern pike, white bass, crappie, smallmouth bass, muskellunge, yellow perch, bluegill on Lake Ashtabula.
Gravel shoal is the top-rated area: a gravel shoal in about 5 ft of water that rates prime for walleye in spring. Scroll up to the map for the complete spot list by species and season.
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.
Fishing on Lake Ashtabula is regulated by the North Dakota Game and Fish. Check the official North Dakota regulations for current license requirements, season dates, and size and bag limits — special regulations can apply to this specific water.
Mosher WPA 4 mi · Fox Lake 22 mi · Middle Eckelson 22 mi · Moon Lake 23 mi · St. Mary's Lake 24 mi · Eckelson Lake South 24 mi · Island Lake 26 mi · Kee Lake 26 mi · Lake Addie 27 mi · Alkali Lake 27 mi · Spiritwood Lake 27 mi · Hoggarth Dam 29 mi
See how Lake Ashtabula 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
More water nearby: Barnes County fishing maps (10 charts). Browse all North Dakota fishing maps or see every water on DepthScout. Bathymetry credit: state fisheries survey programs. How we build these maps. Fish here with a sonar unit that logs? Send us your depth data and we'll improve this chart, credited to you. For fishing guidance only, never navigation.