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Fishing Pipestem Reservoir: what the data says
840-acre lake near Jamestown. The lake tops out around 26 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 Pipestem Reservoir
Spring walleye on Pipestem Reservoir hold shallow, usually 4 to 15 ft. Summer pushes them deeper, 8 to 26 ft, and winter fish settle into 8 to 26 ft. The spot to know is Break off the point, a drop-off in about 10 ft of water that rates prime for walleye in fall. Best bite is the evening and early morning. A crawler harness on bottom bouncer or a deep crankbait (trolled) covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 4 to 15 ft | dusk & dawn | 1/8 oz jig + minnow, Hair jig |
| Summer | 8 to 26 ft | dusk & dawn | Crawler harness on bottom bouncer, Deep crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 8 to 26 ft | dusk & night | Jigging rap, Jig + big minnow |
| Winter | 8 to 26 ft | dusk & dawn | Jigging spoon + minnow head, Rattle bait |
Crappie fishing at Pipestem Reservoir
Start shallow in spring: crappie sit in 2 to 8 ft that time of year. They move out to 10 to 25 ft in summer and finish the year down in 8 to 26 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Deep basin: a deep basin around 14 ft that scores prime in winter. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. Tie on a jig trolled/spider-rigged or a small crankbait (trolled) and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | 1/16 oz jig + tube, Curly-tail grub |
| Summer | 10 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | Jig trolled/spider-rigged, Small crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 8 to 20 ft | dawn | Jig + minnow combo, Small swimbait (1.5-2") |
| Winter | 8 to 26 ft | midday | Tungsten jig + soft plastic, Tiny jigging spoon |
Northern Pike fishing at Pipestem Reservoir
In spring, northern pike run shallow here, mostly 2 to 8 ft. They move out to 8 to 20 ft in summer and finish the year down in 5 to 15 ft. Shallow bay flat is the standout, a weed flat at roughly 2 ft, rated prime for spring northern pike. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. 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 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 Pipestem Reservoir
In spring, yellow perch run shallow here, mostly 3 to 12 ft. By summer they slide out to 8 to 26 ft, and by winter most fish are in 8 to 26 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Back-bay flat: a weed flat around 9 ft that scores prime in spring. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning. A drop-shot micro plastics or a small spoon tipped with worm covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | midday & dawn | Small jig + curly tail, Perch-pattern micro crank |
| Summer | 8 to 26 ft | dawn | Drop-shot micro plastics, Small spoon tipped with worm |
| Fall | 8 to 26 ft | midday | Jigging spoon (small), Perch rig / spreader |
| Winter | 8 to 26 ft | midday & dawn | Tungsten jig + spikes, Rattle spoon (small) |
Common Carp fishing at Pipestem Reservoir
Spring common carp on Pipestem Reservoir hold shallow, usually 2 to 10 ft. They move out to 3 to 15 ft in summer and finish the year down in 8 to 26 ft. Shallow bay flat is the standout, a weed flat at roughly 2 ft, rated prime for spring common carp. Best bite is early morning and the evening.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | midday & dawn | |
| Summer | 3 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | |
| Fall | 5 to 18 ft | midday | |
| Winter | 8 to 26 ft | midday |
Notable structure
- Deep basin: deep basin, around 14 ft
- Break off the point: drop-off, around 10 ft
- Back-bay flat: weed flat, around 9 ft
- Main-lake point: point, around 3 ft
- Secondary point: point, around 2 ft
- Shallow bay flat: weed flat, around 2 ft
Common questions
How deep is Pipestem Reservoir?
Pipestem Reservoir is about 26 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 Pipestem Reservoir?
Anglers target walleye, northern pike, crappie, yellow perch, common carp on Pipestem Reservoir.
Where is the best fishing spot on Pipestem Reservoir?
Break off the point is the top-rated area: a drop-off in about 10 ft of water that rates prime for walleye in fall. Open the map above to see every rated spot for each species and season.
When is the best time to fish Pipestem 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
Jamestown Reservoir · R and M Lake · Alkali Lake · Hoggarth Dam · Cleveland Slough · Island Lake
See how Pipestem Reservoir stacks up: best walleye lakes in North Dakota · best northern pike lakes in North Dakota · best crappie lakes in North Dakota · best yellow perch 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.