Fishing Report For Devils Lake, ND

By Rick Seaman

March 27, 2025

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Fishing Report Devils Lake, ND

Fishing Reports

Popular Fish Species Devils Lake, ND

White Bass

Uncle Buck's Panfish Creatures Curly Tail Minnow Rigged

Current Report: Good
Outlook: Very Good To Excellent

Devils Lake has become a white bass factory. Good spawns, and ideal water conditions, are turning out lots of fat white bass. These schooling fish tend to start their spawn run once the water temperature gets into the mid 50's, and that's just starting to happen now. White bass move upstream into the river area, and running creeks, and congregate for several weeks. This is a prime time to fill the livewells with some fat white bass. Swimbaits, curly-tail jigs, underspins, small crankbaits, small jerkbaits, and most any lure that looks like baitfish are catching plenty of fish. During Summer and Fall the white bass migrate back to the main lake areas following baitfish. In Winter they have biting very aggressively when ice fishing for several years now.

Walleye

Current Report: Good To Very Good
Outlook: Very Good

Walleye fishing is the main attraction on Devils Lake. The ice fishing for walleye this year was excellent. Now that the water is beginning to warm, early in the morning, and then again from dusk to after dark are beginning to produce shallow, which should continue through the Summer. They primarily feed close to the bottom, regardless of how deep they are holding. Jigs, tipped with minnows or plastics, are one of the top techniques here. Locals have been reporting for several years that spoons, deep-diving crankbaits, and worm harness spinners are also catching good numbers of walleye while trolling.

Northern Pike

Current Report: Good
Outlook: Very Good

Northern pike are stocked here, primarily to keep the growth of perch and sunfish under control. They have been getting active now that the water is warming, and aggressively attacking baits in shallow water. The best areas are weedy shorelines where the small sunfish hang out. Bright colors and flashy lures then to trigger more strikes than subtle baits, but often the bigger northerns are caught on large jerkbaits. Trolling along weed edges is also enticing strikes. For the past several Winters, ice fishing for northern pike has been very good.

Fishing Video

Fish species to fish for...

Guide to fishing for white crappie, walleye, white bass, yellow perch, northern pike and muskie at Devils Lake in North Dakota.

Devils Lake is a 122,000-acre lake with well over 300 miles of shoreline, plenty of ledges, flats, creek channels and structure. Reported by many to be the "Perch Capital of the World," this big lake offers exceptional fishing walleye, yellow perch, muskie, northern pike, and white bass.

Primary fish species residing in Devils Lake

Click images for fishing tips and details about each species.

Today's Weather & Forecast

Fishing Boat Rentals

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Public Boat Launch Ramps & Landings

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Fishing License

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Map - Fishing & Access

Rick Seaman is a fishing enthusiast with over five decades of fishing experience, a retired tournament fisherman, author of numerous published articles on fishing, and co-author of the book "Bass Fishing - It's not WHAT you throw, It's WHERE you throw it".