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9,600-acre reservoir near Foxholm. The lake tops out around 24 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. Here's the year, species by species, as the scoring engine sees it.
The outline encloses 8,948 acres, worked by 57.6 miles of shoreline. The 4.3 development index tells the story — a convoluted bank whose fishable edge far outruns the acreage. Littoral water — the productive band under ~15 ft — makes up 84% of this chart. Figure 19.1 mi of water from one end to the other, 4.2 mi at the beam. It sits in Renville County. If the bite dies, Clearwater Lake is 32 mi to the west.
Start shallow in spring: walleye sit in 4 to 15 ft that time of year. Warm water sends them out to 7 to 24 ft; cold water stacks them in 7 to 24 ft. Top water on the chart: Gravel shoal, a gravel shoal in the 6 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 (6 ft) | 1/8 oz jig + minnow, Hair jig |
| Summer | 7 to 24 ft | dusk & dawn | Shoreline point (14 ft) | Crawler harness on bottom bouncer, Deep crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 7 to 24 ft | dusk & night | Shoreline point (14 ft) | Jigging rap, Jig + big minnow |
| Winter | 7 to 24 ft | dusk & dawn | Deep basin (20 ft) | Jigging spoon + minnow head, Rattle bait |
Spring northern pike on Lake Darling 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 Shallow bay flat first on the milk run — a weed flat near 5 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 | Shallow bay flat (5 ft) | #5 inline spinner, Spoon (red/white) |
| Summer | 8 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Back-bay flat (7 ft) | Bucktail, Weedless spoon over cabbage |
| Fall | 6 to 18 ft | midday & dawn | Back-bay flat (7 ft) | Big rubber (Bull Dawg style), Husky-style jerkbait |
| Winter | 5 to 15 ft | midday | Shallow bay flat (5 ft) | Tip-ups, Large jigging spoon |
Spring puts yellow perch in skinny water — 3 to 12 ft is the zone. Warm water sends them out to 7 to 24 ft; cold water stacks them in 7 to 24 ft. Shallow bay flat is the standout, a weed flat at roughly 5 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 | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (5 ft) | Small jig + curly tail, Perch-pattern micro crank |
| Summer | 7 to 24 ft | dawn | Deep basin (20 ft) | Drop-shot micro plastics, Small spoon tipped with worm |
| Fall | 7 to 24 ft | midday | Deep basin (20 ft) | Jigging spoon (small), Perch rig / spreader |
| Winter | 7 to 24 ft | midday & dawn | Deep basin (20 ft) | Tungsten jig + spikes, Rattle spoon (small) |
Spring smallmouth bass on Lake Darling hold shallow, usually 3 to 12 ft. They move out to 7 to 24 ft in summer and finish the year down in 7 to 24 ft. Put Shoreline point first on the milk run — a point near 14 ft that grades prime for fall. 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 (6 ft) | Ned rig, Tube jig |
| Summer | 7 to 24 ft | dawn & dusk | Shoreline point (14 ft) | Drop shot (goby/minnow), Ned rig |
| Fall | 7 to 24 ft | midday & dawn | Shoreline point (14 ft) | Jerkbait, Blade bait |
| Winter | 7 to 24 ft | midday | Break off the point (4 ft) | Blade bait, Hair jig |
15 pieces of structure are mapped here — Deep basin, around 20 ft, is the deepest of them.
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 Darling specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official North Dakota fishing regulations →
Lake Darling is about 24 ft (7 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, yellow perch, smallmouth bass on Lake Darling.
Gravel shoal is the top-rated area: a gravel shoal in about 6 ft of water that rates prime for walleye in spring. Every other rated spot, per species and season, is on the map above.
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 Darling 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.
Clearwater Lake 32 mi · Northgate Dam 37 mi · Stanley Reservoir 40 mi · Rice Lake 40 mi · Buffalo Lodge Lake 44 mi · Powers Lake 45 mi · Smishek Lake 47 mi · South Carlson Lake 47 mi · Makoti Lake 50 mi · White Earth Dam 51 mi · Hiddenwood Lake 52 mi · Carbury Dam 53 mi
See how Lake Darling stacks up: best smallmouth bass lakes in North Dakota · 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 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.