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509-acre reservoir near North Dakota. North Dakota Game & Fish survey water. The lake tops out around 18 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. Every species below gets its seasonal read from the same numbers driving the chart.
Sykeston Dam maps at 509 acres behind 4.3 miles of shoreline. Its 1.4 shoreline index means few bank features; the contours below do the pattern work. All of it is shallow-zone water — under ~15 ft across the entire basin, so the food chain has the run of the place. Call it 1.9 mi long by 0.6 mi wide at the broadest reach. Wells County claims this one. Geier Lake sits 14 mi south — the closest neighbouring chart.
The spring pattern is a shallow one: yellow perch in 3 to 12 ft. As the season builds they drop to 5 to 18 ft, wintering in 5 to 18 ft. Top water on the chart: Back-bay flat, a weed flat in the 4 ft range, prime in spring. Time it for early morning. Summer baits: a drop-shot micro plastics or a small spoon tipped with worm gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | midday & dawn | Back-bay flat (4 ft) | Small jig + curly tail, Perch-pattern micro crank |
| Summer | 5 to 18 ft | dawn | Deep basin (16 ft) | Drop-shot micro plastics, Small spoon tipped with worm |
| Fall | 5 to 18 ft | midday | Deep basin (16 ft) | Jigging spoon (small), Perch rig / spreader |
| Winter | 5 to 18 ft | midday & dawn | Deep basin (16 ft) | Tungsten jig + spikes, Rattle spoon (small) |
When the water first warms, northern pike slide up into 2 to 8 ft. By summer they slide out to 5 to 18 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. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning and the evening. Keep a bucktail or a weedless spoon over cabbage rigged through the warm months.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (2 ft) | #5 inline spinner, Spoon (red/white) |
| Summer | 5 to 18 ft | dawn & dusk | Back-bay flat (4 ft) | Bucktail, Weedless spoon over cabbage |
| Fall | 6 to 18 ft | midday & dawn | Break off the point (5 ft) | Big rubber (Bull Dawg style), Husky-style jerkbait |
| Winter | 5 to 15 ft | midday | Back-bay flat (4 ft) | Tip-ups, Large jigging spoon |
Sykeston Dam carries 6 mapped structure features, topping out (or rather bottoming out) at Deep basin, about 16 ft down.
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 Sykeston Dam specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official North Dakota fishing regulations →
Sykeston Dam is about 18 ft (5 m) deep at its deepest point. The depth chart here comes from real state fisheries GPS surveys, so the contours reflect measured depths.
Anglers target yellow perch, northern pike on Sykeston Dam.
Back-bay flat is the top-rated area: a weed flat in about 4 ft of water that rates prime for yellow perch in spring. The interactive chart above rates every spot for each species and season.
For yellow perch, the summer bite is best in 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 Sykeston Dam 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.
Geier Lake 14 mi · Monson Lake 17 mi · Barnes Lake 18 mi · Silver Lake WMA 20 mi · Hurdsfield-Tuffy Lake 21 mi · Schumacher Lake 22 mi · Remmick Lake 23 mi · Jasper Lake 24 mi · Lake Williams 26 mi · Des Moines Lake 26 mi · Frettim Lake 26 mi · Warsing Dam 28 mi
See how Sykeston Dam stacks up: best northern pike lakes in North Dakota · best yellow perch lakes in North Dakota
More water nearby: Wells County fishing maps (6 charts). Browse all North Dakota fishing maps or see every water on DepthScout. Bathymetry credit: state fisheries survey programs. 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.