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Baldhill Dam (Valley City) to Lisbon The river tops out around 6 ft. The chart is a model: real shoreline, published maximum depth, interpolated in between. A planning tool, never a navigation product. Here's the year, species by species, as the scoring engine sees it.
On the chart, Sheyenne River draws 3,730 acres inside 138 miles of shoreline. An index of 16.1 puts the bank firmly in maze territory: point after pocket after cove, every one a casting target. There is no deep basin to speak of — the entire surface is under ~15 ft, prime weed water end to end. Tip to tip the water measures near 40.3 mi with a 9.7-mi widest point. The water lies in Barnes County. The nearest mapped water is St. Mary's Lake, 17 mi to the northwest.
Early season walleye use the shallows, holding in 2 to 6 ft. Even in summer they hold at 2 to 6 ft; winter keeps them in 2 to 6 ft. The chart's best answer is Riffle & run (mile 5.0) — rock pile, 3 ft, prime for spring. 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 | 2 to 6 ft | dusk & dawn | Riffle & run (mile 5.0) (3 ft) | 1/8 oz jig + minnow, Hair jig |
| Summer | 2 to 6 ft | dusk & dawn | Inside bend (mile 48.4) (5 ft) | Crawler harness on bottom bouncer, Deep crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 2 to 6 ft | dusk & night | Inside bend (mile 48.4) (5 ft) | Jigging rap, Jig + big minnow |
| Winter | 2 to 6 ft | dusk & dawn | Outside-bend hole (mile 0.6) (5 ft) | Jigging spoon + minnow head, Rattle bait |
Spring puts northern pike in skinny water — 2 to 6 ft is the zone. Summer fish stay in 2 to 6 ft, and winter fish hold in 2 to 6 ft. Fall northern pike concentrate at Inside bend (mile 48.4), a prime-rated point around 5 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 6 ft | midday & dawn | open water | #5 inline spinner, Spoon (red/white) |
| Summer | 2 to 6 ft | dawn & dusk | Inside bend (mile 48.4) (5 ft) | Bucktail, Weedless spoon over cabbage |
| Fall | 2 to 6 ft | midday & dawn | Inside bend (mile 48.4) (5 ft) | Big rubber (Bull Dawg style), Husky-style jerkbait |
| Winter | 2 to 6 ft | midday | Inside bend (mile 48.4) (5 ft) | Tip-ups, Large jigging spoon |
In spring, channel catfish run shallow here, mostly 2 to 6 ft. Summer keeps them at 2 to 6 ft, and they winter in 2 to 6 ft. Outside-bend hole (mile 0.6) is the standout, a creek channel at roughly 5 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 | 2 to 6 ft | dusk | Eddy pocket (mile 15.1) (3 ft) | |
| Summer | 2 to 6 ft | night & dusk | Outside-bend hole (mile 0.6) (5 ft) | |
| Fall | 2 to 6 ft | dusk | Outside-bend hole (mile 0.6) (5 ft) | |
| Winter | 2 to 6 ft | midday | Outside-bend hole (mile 0.6) (5 ft) |
Spring puts smallmouth bass in skinny water — 2 to 6 ft is the zone. Summer fish stay in 2 to 6 ft, and winter fish hold in 2 to 6 ft. Spring smallmouth bass concentrate at Riffle & run (mile 5.0), a prime-rated rock pile around 3 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 | 2 to 6 ft | dawn & dusk | Riffle & run (mile 5.0) (3 ft) | Ned rig, Tube jig |
| Summer | 2 to 6 ft | dawn & dusk | Riffle & run (mile 5.0) (3 ft) | Drop shot (goby/minnow), Ned rig |
| Fall | 2 to 6 ft | midday & dawn | Inside bend (mile 48.4) (5 ft) | Jerkbait, Blade bait |
| Winter | 2 to 6 ft | midday | Current seam (mile 16.8) (3 ft) | Blade bait, Hair jig |
The spring pattern is a shallow one: muskellunge in 2 to 6 ft. The depth story barely changes: 2 to 6 ft through summer, 2 to 6 ft in winter. Top water on the chart: Inside bend (mile 48.4), a point in the 5 ft range, prime in summer. Time it for the evening and early morning. Summer baits: a double-10 bucktail or a topwater (walk-the-dog / creeper) gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 6 ft | dusk | Eddy pocket (mile 15.1) (3 ft) | Smaller bucktail (#8 blades), 6" glide bait |
| Summer | 2 to 6 ft | dusk & dawn | Inside bend (mile 48.4) (5 ft) | Double-10 bucktail, Topwater (walk-the-dog / creeper) |
| Fall | 2 to 6 ft | midday & dusk | Riffle & run (mile 5.0) (3 ft) | Big rubber (Bull Dawg style), 10"+ glide bait |
| Winter | 2 to 6 ft | midday | Eddy pocket (mile 15.1) (3 ft) | Large rubber, crawled slow |
The chart marks 36 structure features on Sheyenne River; the deepest is Outside-bend hole (mile 0.6) at about 5 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 Sheyenne River specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official North Dakota fishing regulations →
Sheyenne River is about 6 ft (2 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, northern pike, channel catfish, smallmouth bass, muskellunge on Sheyenne River.
Outside-bend hole (mile 0.6) is the top-rated area: a creek channel in about 5 ft of water that rates prime for channel catfish in summer. The map above holds the full rated-spot list for every 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 Sheyenne 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.
St. Mary's Lake 17 mi · Moon Lake 17 mi · Kee Lake 22 mi · Boom Lake 23 mi · Eckelson Lake South 24 mi · Middle Eckelson 25 mi · Dead Colt Creek 26 mi · Twin Lakes 28 mi · Island Lake 28 mi · Fox Lake 29 mi · James River 31 mi · Lake Ashtabula 34 mi
See how Sheyenne River stacks up: best smallmouth bass lakes in North Dakota · best walleye lakes in North Dakota · best northern pike lakes in North Dakota · best channel catfish lakes in North Dakota
More water nearby: Barnes County fishing maps (10 charts). 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.