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Fishing Sather Dam: what the data says
164-acre reservoir near North Dakota. North Dakota Game & Fish survey water. The lake tops out around 17 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.
Crappie fishing at Sather Dam
Start shallow in spring: crappie sit in 2 to 8 ft that time of year. By summer they slide out to 5 to 17 ft, and by winter most fish are in 5 to 17 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Deep basin: a deep basin around 17 ft that scores prime in winter. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning and the evening. A jig trolled/spider-rigged or a small crankbait (trolled) covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | 1/16 oz jig + tube, Curly-tail grub |
| Summer | 5 to 17 ft | dawn & dusk | Jig trolled/spider-rigged, Small crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 5 to 17 ft | dawn | Jig + minnow combo, Small swimbait (1.5-2") |
| Winter | 5 to 17 ft | midday | Tungsten jig + soft plastic, Tiny jigging spoon |
Bluegill fishing at Sather Dam
In spring, bluegill run shallow here, mostly 1 to 6 ft. They move out to 4 to 15 ft in summer and finish the year down in 5 to 17 ft. Shallow bay flat is the standout, a weed flat at roughly 3 ft, rated prime for spring bluegill. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. 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 | 5 to 17 ft | midday | Micro jig + waxworm, Small spoon tipped |
| Winter | 5 to 17 ft | midday | Tungsten ice jig + plastic, Tiny spoon |
Largemouth Bass fishing at Sather Dam
In spring, largemouth bass run shallow here, mostly 2 to 10 ft. By summer they slide out to 5 to 17 ft, and by winter most fish are in 5 to 17 ft. The spot to know is Shallow bay flat, a weed flat in about 3 ft of water that rates prime for largemouth bass in spring. Best bite is early morning and the evening. A texas-rigged 10" worm or a deep-diving crankbait covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | Spinnerbait, Chatterbait |
| Summer | 5 to 17 ft | dawn & dusk | Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait |
| Fall | 4 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 5 to 17 ft | midday | Blade bait, Jigging spoon |
Notable structure
- Deep basin: deep basin, around 17 ft
- Break off the point: drop-off, around 11 ft
- Main-lake point: point, around 8 ft
- Shallow bay flat: weed flat, around 3 ft
- Back-bay flat: weed flat, around 3 ft
- Secondary point: point, around 2 ft
Common questions
How deep is Sather Dam?
Sather Dam is about 17 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 Sather Dam?
Anglers target largemouth bass, crappie, bluegill on Sather Dam.
Where is the best fishing spot on Sather Dam?
Deep basin is the top-rated area: a deep basin in about 17 ft of water that rates prime for crappie in winter. Open the map above to see every rated spot for each species and season.
When is the best time to fish Sather Dam?
For crappie, the summer bite is best in early morning and the evening. Each species page section below lists the seasonal windows, and the map shows a live NOW badge when you're inside one.
Nearby waters
Trenton Lake · Odland Dam · Epping-Springbrook Dam · Camels Hump Lake · Blacktail Dam · McLeod (Ray) Reservoir
See how Sather Dam stacks up: best largemouth bass lakes in North Dakota · best crappie 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.