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Fishing McLeod (Ray) Reservoir: what the data says
160-acre reservoir near North Dakota. North Dakota Game & Fish survey water. The lake tops out around 34 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 McLeod (Ray) Reservoir
Start shallow in spring: walleye sit in 4 to 15 ft that time of year. By summer they slide out to 10 to 34 ft, and by winter most fish are in 10 to 34 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Deep basin: a deep basin around 33 ft that scores prime in winter. Plan around the evening and early morning in the warm months. 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 | 10 to 34 ft | dusk & dawn | Crawler harness on bottom bouncer, Deep crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 10 to 34 ft | dusk & night | Jigging rap, Jig + big minnow |
| Winter | 10 to 34 ft | dusk & dawn | Jigging spoon + minnow head, Rattle bait |
Northern Pike fishing at McLeod (Ray) Reservoir
Start shallow in spring: northern pike sit in 2 to 8 ft that time of year. By summer they slide out to 8 to 20 ft, and by winter most fish are 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. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. Summer baits: a bucktail or a weedless spoon over cabbage gets it done.
| 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 |
Yellow Perch fishing at McLeod (Ray) Reservoir
Spring yellow perch on McLeod (Ray) Reservoir hold shallow, usually 3 to 12 ft. Summer pushes them deeper, 10 to 30 ft, and winter fish settle into 10 to 34 ft. The spot to know is Deep basin, a deep basin in about 33 ft of water that rates prime for yellow perch in fall. Best bite is early morning. Summer baits: a drop-shot micro plastics or a small spoon tipped with worm gets it done.
| 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 | 10 to 34 ft | midday | Jigging spoon (small), Perch rig / spreader |
| Winter | 10 to 34 ft | midday & dawn | Tungsten jig + spikes, Rattle spoon (small) |
Smallmouth Bass fishing at McLeod (Ray) Reservoir
Spring smallmouth bass on McLeod (Ray) Reservoir hold shallow, usually 3 to 12 ft. By summer they slide out to 10 to 30 ft, and by winter most fish are in 10 to 34 ft. The spot to know is Break off the point, a drop-off in about 7 ft of water that rates prime for smallmouth bass in winter. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning and the evening. Tie on a drop shot (goby/minnow) or a ned rig and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dawn & dusk | Ned rig, Tube jig |
| Summer | 10 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Drop shot (goby/minnow), Ned rig |
| Fall | 8 to 25 ft | midday & dawn | Jerkbait, Blade bait |
| Winter | 10 to 34 ft | midday | Blade bait, Hair jig |
Bluegill fishing at McLeod (Ray) Reservoir
Spring bluegill on McLeod (Ray) Reservoir hold shallow, usually 1 to 6 ft. They move out to 4 to 15 ft in summer and finish the year down in 10 to 25 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 small sponge spider (fly) or a micro tube jig and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 6 ft | midday & dusk | 1/32 oz jig + micro plastic, Tiny popper (evenings) |
| Summer | 4 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | Small sponge spider (fly), Micro tube jig |
| Fall | 6 to 18 ft | midday | Micro jig + waxworm, Small spoon tipped |
| Winter | 10 to 25 ft | midday | Tungsten ice jig + plastic, Tiny spoon |
Notable structure
- Deep basin: deep basin, around 33 ft
- Break off the point: drop-off, around 7 ft
- Main-lake point: point, around 2 ft
- Secondary point: point, around 2 ft
- Shallow bay flat: weed flat, around 2 ft
- Back-bay flat: weed flat, around 2 ft
Common questions
How deep is McLeod (Ray) Reservoir?
McLeod (Ray) Reservoir is about 34 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 McLeod (Ray) Reservoir?
Anglers target smallmouth bass, walleye, northern pike, bluegill, yellow perch on McLeod (Ray) Reservoir.
Where is the best fishing spot on McLeod (Ray) Reservoir?
Deep basin is the top-rated area: a deep basin in about 33 ft of water that rates prime for walleye in winter. Open the map above to see every rated spot for each species and season.
When is the best time to fish McLeod (Ray) Reservoir?
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
Tioga Dam · Epping-Springbrook Dam · McGregor Dam · Cottonwood Lake · White Earth Dam · Blacktail Dam
See how McLeod (Ray) Reservoir stacks up: best smallmouth bass lakes in North Dakota · best walleye lakes in North Dakota · best northern pike lakes in North Dakota · best bluegill 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.