Your Best Spring Fishing in North Dakota

Now that winter's almost through, it's time to grab your favorite rod and reel and head out for some spring fishing in North Dakota.

March

Last ice can be a hot time for walleye on North Dakota's Lake Audubon. Walleye numbers are booming on this impoundment off the Missouri Reservoir. Expect plenty of 'eyes in the 15 — to 20 — inch range, but there should be more trophy fish this winter, too. Jigging lures, like Swedish Pimples, Rattling Buckshot Lures and PK Flutterfish, take hawgs up to 10 pounds. Dead sticks and tip-ups account for some behemoth northerns here, too.

April

Fish tail-water area of the Missouri River right below Garrison Dam in April and you have no idea what you might catch.  Because of the forage entrained with releases through the powerhouse, you have a good chance of catching virtually any/all predators that are present in the Missouri River system, and some non-predator fish like cisco and whitefish. The area where water is released from the powerhouse, known locally as "The Chutes", can be good for boat fishermen or shore fishermen alike.

May

About the only trouble you might have on North Dakota's Devils Lake in May is deciding what to try to catch. Your quarry might be walleye, pike, white bass, crappies and jumbo perch. Even though it's 200,000 acres, Devils Lake fishes small because just about every cove leads to a smaller connecting lake. Try Pelican Bay in the 17 to 25 foot depths along shorelines that were above the waterline just a few short years ago. Weed edges are a good bet, too in 10 to 14 feet. Any kind of live bait suspended below a slip bobber is going to catch something.

Don't forget to share your best fishing photos with us on Camera Corner for your chance to win free gear!

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