Sign inSign up free Sign inSign up free Sign inSign up freeShared by DepthScout anglers. Exact spots stay private, always.
649-acre reservoir near North Dakota. North Dakota Game & Fish survey water. The lake tops out around 20 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. Here's the year, species by species, as the scoring engine sees it.
The drawn water covers 649 acres wrapped in 6 miles of bank. With a 1.7 development index there's bank structure worth casting at, in moderation. Littoral water — the productive band under ~15 ft — makes up 87% of this chart. End to end it runs roughly 2.9 mi, about 0.6 mi across. It sits in Walsh County. Its nearest charted neighbour, Matejcek Dam, is 6 mi to the east.
Spring puts walleye in skinny water — 4 to 15 ft is the zone. Warm water sends them out to 6 to 20 ft; cold water stacks them in 6 to 20 ft. Break off the point is the standout, a drop-off at roughly 7 ft, rated prime for fall walleye. Plan around the evening and early morning in the warm months. A crawler harness on bottom bouncer or a deep crankbait (trolled) covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 4 to 15 ft | dusk & dawn | Main-lake point (5 ft) | 1/8 oz jig + minnow, Hair jig |
| Summer | 6 to 20 ft | dusk & dawn | Break off the point (7 ft) | Crawler harness on bottom bouncer, Deep crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 6 to 20 ft | dusk & night | Break off the point (7 ft) | Jigging rap, Jig + big minnow |
| Winter | 6 to 20 ft | dusk & dawn | Deep basin (20 ft) | Jigging spoon + minnow head, Rattle bait |
Come spring, look for northern pike tight to the bank in 2 to 8 ft. They move out to 8 to 20 ft in summer and finish the year down 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. Best bite is early morning and the evening. A bucktail or a weedless spoon over cabbage is the honest summer answer here.
| 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 | 8 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Secondary point (9 ft) | Bucktail, Weedless spoon over cabbage |
| Fall | 6 to 18 ft | midday & dawn | Break off the point (7 ft) | Big rubber (Bull Dawg style), Husky-style jerkbait |
| Winter | 5 to 15 ft | midday | Main-lake point (5 ft) | Tip-ups, Large jigging spoon |
Start shallow in spring: yellow perch sit in 3 to 12 ft that time of year. Warm water sends them out to 6 to 20 ft; cold water stacks them in 6 to 20 ft. Top water on the chart: Deep basin, a deep basin in the 20 ft range, prime in fall. Fish it in early morning and you'll meet the bite. Throw a drop-shot micro plastics or a small spoon tipped with worm until the fish tell you otherwise.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (2 ft) | Small jig + curly tail, Perch-pattern micro crank |
| Summer | 6 to 20 ft | dawn | Deep basin (20 ft) | Drop-shot micro plastics, Small spoon tipped with worm |
| Fall | 6 to 20 ft | midday | Deep basin (20 ft) | Jigging spoon (small), Perch rig / spreader |
| Winter | 6 to 20 ft | midday & dawn | Deep basin (20 ft) | Tungsten jig + spikes, Rattle spoon (small) |
Come spring, look for crappie tight to the bank in 2 to 8 ft. They move out to 6 to 20 ft in summer and finish the year down in 6 to 20 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Deep basin: a deep basin around 20 ft that scores prime in winter. Best bite is early morning and the evening. A jig trolled/spider-rigged or a small crankbait (trolled) is the honest summer answer here.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (2 ft) | 1/16 oz jig + tube, Curly-tail grub |
| Summer | 6 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Break off the point (7 ft) | Jig trolled/spider-rigged, Small crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 8 to 20 ft | dawn | Deep basin (20 ft) | Jig + minnow combo, Small swimbait (1.5-2") |
| Winter | 6 to 20 ft | midday | Deep basin (20 ft) | Tungsten jig + soft plastic, Tiny jigging spoon |
When the water first warms, muskellunge slide up into 3 to 12 ft. By summer they slide out to 6 to 20 ft, and by winter most fish are in 6 to 20 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Break off the point: a drop-off around 7 ft that scores prime in fall. In summer the feeding windows fall in the evening and early morning. Keep a double-10 bucktail or a topwater (walk-the-dog / creeper) rigged through the warm months.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dusk | Shallow bay flat (2 ft) | Smaller bucktail (#8 blades), 6" glide bait |
| Summer | 6 to 20 ft | dusk & dawn | Secondary point (9 ft) | Double-10 bucktail, Topwater (walk-the-dog / creeper) |
| Fall | 5 to 20 ft | midday & dusk | Break off the point (7 ft) | Big rubber (Bull Dawg style), 10"+ glide bait |
| Winter | 6 to 20 ft | midday | Deep basin (20 ft) | Large rubber, crawled slow |
The chart marks 6 structure features on Whitman Dam; the deepest is Deep basin at about 20 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 Whitman Dam specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official North Dakota fishing regulations →
Whitman Dam is about 20 ft (6 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 walleye, northern pike, yellow perch, crappie, muskellunge on Whitman Dam.
Break off the point is the top-rated area: a drop-off in about 7 ft of water that rates prime for walleye in fall. The interactive chart above rates every spot for each 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 Whitman 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.
Matejcek Dam 6 mi · Lake Laretta 10 mi · Bylin Dam 12 mi · Fordville Dam 14 mi · Homme Dam 19 mi · Fenster Lake 22 mi · Stump Lake 25 mi · Larimore Dam 28 mi · Tolna Dam 31 mi · Battle Lake 37 mi · Cavanaugh Lake 38 mi · Devils Lake 41 mi
See how Whitman Dam stacks up: best walleye lakes in North Dakota · best northern pike lakes in North Dakota · best crappie lakes in North Dakota · best muskellunge lakes in North Dakota
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.