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Garrison Dam tailrace to Bismarck The river tops out around 31 ft. These contours are modeled — built from the real shoreline and the water's maximum depth — so read them as a guide, never as navigation. Below is the species-by-species picture, pulled from the same data the map uses.
Traced from the shoreline, Missouri River runs 7,591 acres with 155.8 miles of edge. A development index of 12.8 means a maze of bays and points: far more casting targets than a round bowl of the same size. 56% of the surface is littoral (under ~15 ft), per the model — cover, weeds and forage water. End to end it runs roughly 58.3 mi, about 13.8 mi across. The water lies in Oliver County. For a second option, Nelson Lake lies 6 mi southwest.
Early season walleye use the shallows, holding in 4 to 15 ft. Summer is a 9 to 31 ft game here, winter a 9 to 31 ft one. The chart's best answer is Channel bar / point (mile 6.2) — point, 12 ft, prime for 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 | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 4 to 15 ft | dusk & dawn | Channel bar / point (mile 6.2) (12 ft) | 1/8 oz jig + minnow, Hair jig |
| Summer | 9 to 31 ft | dusk & dawn | Channel bar / point (mile 6.2) (12 ft) | Crawler harness on bottom bouncer, Deep crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 9 to 31 ft | dusk & night | Channel bar / point (mile 6.2) (12 ft) | Jigging rap, Jig + big minnow |
| Winter | 9 to 31 ft | dusk & dawn | Outside-bend hole (mile 0.6) (23 ft) | Jigging spoon + minnow head, Rattle bait |
When the water first warms, sauger slide up into 4 to 18 ft. Summer is a 10 to 30 ft game here, winter a 9 to 31 ft one. Start at Outside-bend hole (mile 0.6). It's a creek channel holding about 23 ft of water and rates prime come summer. The feeding windows run early morning and the evening. Keep a bottom bouncer + crawler or a 3-way rig with stickbait rigged through the warm months.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 4 to 18 ft | dawn & dusk | Current seam (mile 2.5) (17 ft) | 3/8 oz jig + ringworm, Hair jig + minnow |
| Summer | 10 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Outside-bend hole (mile 0.6) (23 ft) | Bottom bouncer + crawler, 3-way rig with stickbait |
| Fall | 9 to 31 ft | dusk & dawn | Outside-bend hole (mile 0.6) (23 ft) | Jig + big minnow, Blade bait |
| Winter | 9 to 31 ft | dusk | Outside-bend hole (mile 0.6) (23 ft) | Heavy jigging spoon, Jig + minnow (vertical) |
Spring puts northern pike in skinny water — 2 to 8 ft is the zone. As the season builds they drop to 8 to 20 ft, wintering in 5 to 15 ft. Fall northern pike concentrate at Channel bar / point (mile 6.2), a prime-rated point around 12 ft. Warm-month bites cluster around early morning and the evening. A bucktail or a weedless spoon over cabbage covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | open water | #5 inline spinner, Spoon (red/white) |
| Summer | 8 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Channel bar / point (mile 6.2) (12 ft) | Bucktail, Weedless spoon over cabbage |
| Fall | 6 to 18 ft | midday & dawn | Channel bar / point (mile 6.2) (12 ft) | Big rubber (Bull Dawg style), Husky-style jerkbait |
| Winter | 5 to 15 ft | midday | Channel bar / point (mile 6.2) (12 ft) | Tip-ups, Large jigging spoon |
In spring, channel catfish run shallow here, mostly 3 to 12 ft. Summer pushes them deeper, 8 to 25 ft, and winter fish settle into 9 to 31 ft. Outside-bend hole (mile 0.6) is the standout, a creek channel at roughly 23 ft, rated prime for summer channel catfish. Time it for after dark and the evening.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dusk | Slackwater eddy (mile 11.8) (17 ft) | |
| Summer | 8 to 25 ft | night & dusk | Outside-bend hole (mile 0.6) (23 ft) | |
| Fall | 10 to 30 ft | dusk | Outside-bend hole (mile 0.6) (23 ft) | |
| Winter | 9 to 31 ft | midday | Outside-bend hole (mile 0.6) (23 ft) |
Spring puts smallmouth bass in skinny water — 3 to 12 ft is the zone. As the season builds they drop to 10 to 30 ft, wintering in 9 to 31 ft. Fall smallmouth bass concentrate at Channel bar / point (mile 6.2), a prime-rated point around 12 ft. Warm-month bites cluster around early morning and the evening. A drop shot (goby/minnow) or a ned rig covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dawn & dusk | Channel bar / point (mile 6.2) (12 ft) | Ned rig, Tube jig |
| Summer | 10 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Current seam (mile 2.5) (17 ft) | Drop shot (goby/minnow), Ned rig |
| Fall | 8 to 25 ft | midday & dawn | Channel bar / point (mile 6.2) (12 ft) | Jerkbait, Blade bait |
| Winter | 9 to 31 ft | midday | Current seam (mile 2.5) (17 ft) | Blade bait, Hair jig |
The spring pattern is a shallow one: rainbow trout in 5 to 20 ft. Midsummer fish sit out in 8 to 30 ft before dropping to 6 to 31 ft for winter. The spot to know is Current seam (mile 2.5), a current seam in about 17 ft of water that rates prime for rainbow trout in spring. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. Summer baits: a dodger + spoon (deep troll) or a flutter spoon gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 5 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Current seam (mile 2.5) (17 ft) | Inline spinner (silver), Small spoon |
| Summer | 8 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Current seam (mile 2.5) (17 ft) | Dodger + spoon (deep troll), Flutter spoon |
| Fall | 9 to 31 ft | dawn & dusk | Current seam (mile 2.5) (17 ft) | Casting spoon, Jerkbait over shoals |
| Winter | 6 to 31 ft | dawn | Current seam (mile 2.5) (17 ft) | Jigging spoon, Tube jig (white) |
Missouri River also holds brown trout (9 to 31 ft in summer), burbot (9 to 31 ft in summer), chinook salmon (9 to 31 ft in summer), white bass (8 to 25 ft in summer), crappie (10 to 25 ft in summer), bluegill (4 to 15 ft in summer), cisco (lake herring) (9 to 31 ft in summer), common carp (3 to 15 ft in summer), freshwater drum (8 to 30 ft in summer), goldeye (2 to 10 ft in summer), lake whitefish (9 to 31 ft in summer), largemouth bass (8 to 20 ft in summer), yellow perch (10 to 30 ft in summer). Pick any of them on the map above for rated spots and bait picks.
Count 41 structure marks on this chart. The deepest, Main-channel hole (mile 8.1), sits near 25 ft.
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 Missouri River specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official North Dakota fishing regulations →
Missouri River is about 31 ft (9 m) deep 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.
Anglers target walleye, sauger, northern pike, channel catfish, smallmouth bass, rainbow trout, brown trout, burbot, chinook salmon, white bass, crappie, bluegill, cisco (lake herring), common carp, freshwater drum, goldeye, lake whitefish, largemouth bass, yellow perch on Missouri River.
Outside-bend hole (mile 0.6) is the top-rated area: a creek channel in about 23 ft of water that rates prime for sauger in summer. The interactive chart above rates every spot for each 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 Missouri River 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.
Nelson Lake 6 mi · Harmon Lake 15 mi · Sweet Briar Lake 19 mi · Coal Lake 22 mi · West Park Lake 23 mi · East Park Lake 25 mi · Heckers Lake 26 mi · New Johns Lake 27 mi · Riverdale Spillway Lake 27 mi · Danzig Dam 28 mi · Harmony Lake 30 mi · Lake Holmes 30 mi
See how Missouri River stacks up: best largemouth bass lakes in North Dakota · best smallmouth bass lakes in North Dakota · best walleye lakes in North Dakota · best white bass lakes in North Dakota
Browse all North Dakota fishing maps or see every water on DepthScout. 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.