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Fishing West Lake Napoleon: what the data says
4,215-acre lake near North Dakota. North Dakota Game & Fish survey water. The lake tops out around 11 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. Below is the species-by-species picture, pulled from the same data the map uses.
Walleye fishing at West Lake Napoleon
Start shallow in spring: walleye sit in 3 to 11 ft that time of year. Summer fish stay in 3 to 11 ft, and winter fish hold in 3 to 11 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Gravel shoal: a gravel shoal around 3 ft that scores prime in spring. Plan around the evening and early morning in the warm months. Tie on a crawler harness on bottom bouncer or a deep crankbait (trolled) and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 11 ft | dusk & dawn | 1/8 oz jig + minnow, Hair jig |
| Summer | 3 to 11 ft | dusk & dawn | Crawler harness on bottom bouncer, Deep crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 3 to 11 ft | dusk & night | Jigging rap, Jig + big minnow |
| Winter | 3 to 11 ft | dusk & dawn | Jigging spoon + minnow head, Rattle bait |
Northern Pike fishing at West Lake Napoleon
Spring northern pike on West Lake Napoleon hold shallow, usually 2 to 8 ft. Summer pushes them deeper, 3 to 11 ft, and winter fish settle into 3 to 11 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Shallow bay flat: a weed flat around 2 ft that scores prime in spring. Best bite is early morning and the evening. A bucktail or a weedless spoon over cabbage covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | #5 inline spinner, Spoon (red/white) |
| Summer | 3 to 11 ft | dawn & dusk | Bucktail, Weedless spoon over cabbage |
| Fall | 3 to 11 ft | midday & dawn | Big rubber (Bull Dawg style), Husky-style jerkbait |
| Winter | 3 to 11 ft | midday | Tip-ups, Large jigging spoon |
Yellow Perch fishing at West Lake Napoleon
Spring yellow perch on West Lake Napoleon hold shallow, usually 3 to 11 ft. Summer fish stay in 3 to 11 ft, and winter fish hold in 3 to 11 ft. The spot to know is Deep basin, a deep basin in about 11 ft of water that rates prime for yellow perch in fall. Plan around early morning in the warm months. Tie on a drop-shot micro plastics or a small spoon tipped with worm and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 11 ft | midday & dawn | Small jig + curly tail, Perch-pattern micro crank |
| Summer | 3 to 11 ft | dawn | Drop-shot micro plastics, Small spoon tipped with worm |
| Fall | 3 to 11 ft | midday | Jigging spoon (small), Perch rig / spreader |
| Winter | 3 to 11 ft | midday & dawn | Tungsten jig + spikes, Rattle spoon (small) |
Smallmouth Bass fishing at West Lake Napoleon
Spring smallmouth bass on West Lake Napoleon hold shallow, usually 3 to 11 ft. Summer fish stay in 3 to 11 ft, and winter fish hold in 3 to 11 ft. The spot to know is Main-lake point, a point in about 3 ft of water that rates prime for smallmouth bass in fall. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. Summer baits: a drop shot (goby/minnow) or a ned rig gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 11 ft | dawn & dusk | Ned rig, Tube jig |
| Summer | 3 to 11 ft | dawn & dusk | Drop shot (goby/minnow), Ned rig |
| Fall | 3 to 11 ft | midday & dawn | Jerkbait, Blade bait |
| Winter | 3 to 11 ft | midday | Blade bait, Hair jig |
White Bass fishing at West Lake Napoleon
Start shallow in spring: white bass sit in 2 to 11 ft that time of year. Summer fish stay in 3 to 11 ft, and winter fish hold in 3 to 11 ft. Main-lake point is the standout, a point at roughly 3 ft, rated prime for fall white bass. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 11 ft | dawn & dusk | see map |
| Summer | 3 to 11 ft | dawn & dusk | see map |
| Fall | 3 to 11 ft | dawn & dusk | see map |
| Winter | 3 to 11 ft | midday | see map |
Crappie fishing at West Lake Napoleon
In spring, crappie run shallow here, mostly 2 to 8 ft. By summer they slide out to 3 to 11 ft, and by winter most fish are in 3 to 11 ft. The spot to know is Deep basin, a deep basin in about 11 ft of water that rates prime for crappie in winter. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning and the evening. Summer baits: a jig trolled/spider-rigged or a small crankbait (trolled) gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | 1/16 oz jig + tube, Curly-tail grub |
| Summer | 3 to 11 ft | dawn & dusk | Jig trolled/spider-rigged, Small crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 3 to 11 ft | dawn | Jig + minnow combo, Small swimbait (1.5-2") |
| Winter | 3 to 11 ft | midday | Tungsten jig + soft plastic, Tiny jigging spoon |
West Lake Napoleon also holds bluegill (3 to 11 ft in summer), channel catfish (3 to 11 ft in summer). Pick any of them on the map above for rated spots and bait picks.
Notable structure
- Deep basin: deep basin, around 11 ft
- Deepest basin: deep basin, around 11 ft
- Break off the point: drop-off, around 7 ft
- Main-lake point: point, around 3 ft
- Secondary point: point, around 3 ft
- Gravel shoal: gravel shoal, around 3 ft
- Gravel shoal: gravel shoal, around 3 ft
- Shallow bay flat: weed flat, around 2 ft
- Back-bay flat: weed flat, around 2 ft
Common questions
How deep is West Lake Napoleon?
West Lake Napoleon is about 11 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 West Lake Napoleon?
Anglers target smallmouth bass, walleye, white bass, northern pike, crappie, bluegill, channel catfish, yellow perch on West Lake Napoleon.
Where is the best fishing spot on West Lake Napoleon?
Gravel shoal is the top-rated area: a gravel shoal in about 3 ft of water that rates prime for walleye in spring. Open the map above to see every rated spot for each species and season.
When is the best time to fish West Lake Napoleon?
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
Braun Lake · Beaver Lake · Fresh Lake · Alkaline Lake · Braddock Dam · Lake Isabel
See how West Lake Napoleon stacks up: best smallmouth bass lakes in North Dakota · best walleye lakes in North Dakota · best white bass lakes in North Dakota · best northern pike 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.