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Jamestown Reservoir Fishing Report

Updated Fri, Sep 4, 2026 from live gauge and weather data

A James River impoundment: Jamestown Reservoir holds walleye, pike and perch in central North Dakota.

4/5
Good. Solid day ahead.Stable-to-falling pressure and workable wind line things up.
Flow
65 cfs
Air / High
84 / 85 F
Wind
ESE 11 mph

Sources: USGS gauge 06470500, Open-Meteo, solunar calculated for these coordinates.

Satellite view
Friday
4
September 2026

Today's Fishing Report

Generated this morning from live readings: gauge, weather model, sun and moon. A fresh report is published here every morning.

4/5Good. Solid day ahead.Stable-to-falling pressure and workable wind line things up.

Jamestown Reservoir offers the kind of conditions this water was made for. The river is running 65 cfs, dropping and clearing. Today brings cloud cover, wind ESE around 11 mph, steady pressure near 1011 hPa and a high of 85. Water sits around 66 F for the season (estimated). With the last quarter, the solunar majors run 5:39 AM-7:39 AM and 5:39 PM-7:39 PM: the windows to build the day around.

The plan, species by species

WalleyeExcellent

Jig and minnow on rock reefs and points; the evening bite on wind-blown shores is the one to plan around.

Northern pikeExcellent

Weedline spinnerbaits, spoons and jerkbaits; bays with fresh green weed hold the active fish.

White bassGood

The spring river run: small crankbaits and roadrunners up the tributaries.

CrappieFair

Spawning shallow around cover in spring; jigs under a float near buck brush and laydowns.

Tomorrow: Similar at 85 F. The solunar majors shift about 50 minutes later.Next report: Sat, Sep 5, 6:30 AMHow this report is made →

Water and weather

Live readings from James River at LaMoure (below).

Flow, last 30 days

USGS gauge 06470500.

728810365 cfs08/0508/1508/2509/04

Right now

Latest readings

Air temp84 F
High / Low85 / 57 F
WindESE 11-14 mph
Pressure1010.5 hPa, steady
Sky / Rain91% cloud, 6%
Sunrise / Sunset06:58 / 20:08
MoonLast Quarter, 50%
Water temp (seasonal)~66 F est.

Bite planner

Hour-by-hour bite forecast for today. Tap a bar to see why.

5 AM8 AM11 AM2 PM5 PM8 PMsunrisesunsetPRIMEPRIME

Next 7 days

Tap a day for the detailed outlook.

Fri Sep 4 · Showers, 85/57 F, wind 12 mph, rain 6%

Fair or better. A 12 mph breeze puts a working chop on the banks it hits: fish the wind-blown side.

Species guide

The species that matter on Jamestown Reservoir: seasons, structure and how to fish each one. Today's ratings live in the report above.

Walleye illustration

Walleye

Best: May-Jun, Oct

The glass-eyed prize of northern lakes. Low light, wind-blown structure and live bait. Jig and minnow on rock reefs and points; the evening bite on wind-blown shores is the one to plan around.

White bass illustration

White bass

Best: Mar-May run

River-run spawners and open-water schoolers. Fast limits when you find them. The spring river run: small crankbaits and roadrunners up the tributaries.

Northern pike illustration

Northern pike

Best: spring, early winter

The ambush predator of weedbeds and cabbage edges. Aggressive, big and always worth a wire leader. Weedline spinnerbaits, spoons and jerkbaits; bays with fresh green weed hold the active fish.

Crappie illustration

Crappie

Best: Nov-Mar

Brush piles, bridge pilings and standing timber. The fish fry favorite. Spawning shallow around cover in spring; jigs under a float near buck brush and laydowns.

When to come: the Jamestown Reservoir calendar

Activity by species and month, and how the water warms through the year. Tap any cell.

Species activity by month

1 = slow, 5 = peak. Current month highlighted.

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Walleye
White bass
Northern pike
Crappie
SlowPeak

Water temperature through the year

Typical surface temperature for this water type; today is around 66 F (estimated, not a reading).

304050607080JanMarMayJulSepNovSep, ~66 F now

Angler reports

Real reports from real anglers, reviewed before publishing. The water log below tracks each day automatically.

No angler reports yet this weekBe the first: your report helps every angler who checks Jamestown Reservoir today, and we feature the best catch of the week.

Water log, last days

Auto-logged from live data
Thu, Sep 3

4/5 Good. Solid day ahead. Stable-to-falling pressure and workable wind line things up. Walleye led the card at excellent. High of 78 F, wind to 17 mph.

Wed, Sep 2

4/5 Good. Solid day ahead. Stable-to-falling pressure and workable wind line things up. Walleye led the card at excellent. High of 82 F, wind to 9 mph.

Tue, Sep 1

4/5 Good. Solid day ahead. Stable-to-falling pressure and workable wind line things up. Walleye led the card at excellent. High of 79 F, wind to 9 mph.

Where roughly, what depth, what bait. Skip anything you want to keep secret.
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Before you go

License

North Dakota requires a valid fishing license for adults. Buy online from the state agency; one-day options exist for visitors.

Regulations

North Dakota license. Walleye, pike and perch limits per current Game and Fish regulations.

Access

Corps ramps and recreation areas around the reservoir; Jamestown provides services.

About this water

A 2,000-acre Corps flood-control reservoir on the James River, Stutsman County, North Dakota.

Fishing Jamestown Reservoir: the full guide

A prairie reservoir

Jamestown Reservoir spreads about 2,000 acres on the James River north of Jamestown, a Corps flood-control lake in central North Dakota farm country. It is a straightforward prairie fishery: walleye, northern pike, yellow perch, white bass and channel catfish, in fertile, often turbid water with modest structure and plenty of wind.

Walleye and pike

Walleye hold the points, rocky shorelines and the deeper flats: jigs and live-bait rigs in spring, trolled harnesses through summer, with wind-blown shorelines producing best. Northern pike work the weedy bays and shallow arms, taking spoons and spinnerbaits, and provide steady action through the ice as well.

Perch and the seasons

Yellow perch school over the flats and anchor the winter fishery, which is popular given the proximity to Jamestown. White bass appear in numbers in some years. Water levels vary with flood-control operations, sometimes substantially after spring runoff, which changes structure and access.

Stutsman County logistics

Ramps and recreation areas serve the reservoir, with Jamestown minutes south providing services and Interstate 94 running past. The area also holds Pipestem Reservoir nearby, giving anglers an alternative when wind or conditions make one lake unfishable. Ice fishing draws steady local traffic in winter.

Common questions

What is the main species?

Walleye, with northern pike in the weedy bays and yellow perch supporting the winter fishery.

Is there an alternative nearby?

Yes: Pipestem Reservoir sits close by, useful when wind or conditions spoil one of the two.

Does the level change?

Yes, with flood-control operations, particularly after spring runoff: check conditions before towing.

Is fishing good at Jamestown Reservoir right now?

Check the daily report at the top of this page: it is regenerated every morning from live data. Today's read: Good. Solid day ahead. Stable-to-falling pressure and workable wind line things up.

Nearby waters

Pipestem Reservoir5 miLake Ashtabula29 miDevils Lake72 miSheyenne River83 miMissouri River100 miLake Audubon124 mi
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