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Lake Ashtabula Fishing Report

Updated Fri, Oct 23, 2026 from live gauge and weather data

Lake Ashtabula: the Corps reservoir behind Baldhill Dam on the Sheyenne River, where NDGF stocks walleye and rates pike and smallmouth abundant.

4/5
Good. Solid day ahead.Stable-to-falling pressure and workable wind line things up.
Lake level
1265.45 ft
Air / High
66 / 71 F
Wind
SSE 16 mph

Sources: USGS gauge 05057500, Open-Meteo, solunar calculated for these coordinates.

Satellite view
Friday
23
October 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.

Lake Ashtabula feels the season turning: shorter days, grouping fish. The gauge reads 65.45 ft, easing 0.33 over the week. Today brings cloud cover, wind SSE around 16 mph, falling pressure near 1007 hPa and a high of 71. Water sits around 55 F for the season (estimated). With the waxing gibbous, the solunar majors run 10:08 AM-12:08 PM and 10:38 PM-12:38 AM: the windows to build the day around.

The plan, species by species

WalleyeExcellent

Spring: post-spawn fish scatter and can be slow for a couple of weeks. Fall: one of the best windows, with minnows on jigs and three-way rigs as the water cools toward ice-up.

Northern pikeExcellent

The best band for pike: right after ice-out they move into flooded vegetated shallows to spawn, and they feed actively again as the water cools in fall.

Smallmouth bassExcellent

Spring pre-spawn and fall: Iowa DNR notes the larger bass come up to shallow structure, where a shallow-running minnow bait or a spinnerbait just under the surface works.

Yellow perchExcellent

Spring and fall: perch hold shallower and, by Michigan DNR's account, feed through the day, so shoreline weed edges, flats and the shallows near spawning areas are worth searching.

MuskellungeExcellent

This band covers the spring spawn, which in Wisconsin runs at 49-60Β°F; spawning muskies eat little and rarely chase lures, Wisconsin DNR says. After the spawn, and again as fall water cools, work large lures along weed edges and structure.

White bassGood

The spring run happens in this band: tributaries, shoals and the upper ends of reservoirs as the water reaches about 55Β°F.

CrappieGood

Pre-spawn fish move toward shallow coves, and Iowa DNR points to wading as an effective way to reach them in spring; minnows or small jigs under a float.

Tomorrow: Cooler at 63 F. The solunar majors shift about 50 minutes later.Next report: Sat, Oct 24, 6:30 AMHow this report is made β†’

Before you go

North Dakota requires a fishing licence from age 16, from $29.00 for residents. What a North Dakota licence costs and where to buy it β†’

Chasing walleye here? Check the size and bag limits with NDGF before you keep anything. The season dates for North Dakota, read off the agency, are on the North Dakota seasons page.

Water and weather

Live readings from LAKE ASHTABULA AT BALDHILL DAM, ND.

Gauge height, last 30 days

USGS gauge 05057500.

65.5865.9166.2465.45 ft09/2310/0310/1310/23

Right now

Latest readings

Air temp66 F
High / Low71 / 58 F
WindSSE 16-33 mph
Pressure1006.6 hPa, falling
Sky / Rain100% cloud, 7%
Sunrise / Sunset08:01 / 18:29
MoonWaxing Gibbous, 91%
Water temp (seasonal)~55 F est.

Bite planner

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

5 AM8 AM11 AM2 PM5 PM8 PMsunrisesunsetPRIMEPRIME

Which day to fish Lake Ashtabula this week

Today is the pick of the week on Lake Ashtabula, at 4 out of 5.

Best day this week: today, Oct 23 β€” good at 4/5, falling pressure, usually the best window of a week.

Today, Oct 23 β€” Good

Stable-to-falling pressure and workable wind line things up.

Solunar majors
10:08 AM-12:08 PM and 10:38 PM-12:38 AM
Minor period
4:32 AM-5:32 AM
Sun
08:01 to 18:29
Moon
Waxing Gibbous, 91% lit
Sky and wind
Overcast, 20 mph
Rain chance
7%

Forecast-based scores, less reliable further out: how the score is built.

Species guide

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

Walleye illustration

Walleye

Best: spring and late fall, around dawn, dusk and night

A cool-water perch of large lakes, reservoirs and rivers whose reflective eyes are built for low light, so it feeds most at night and in murky water. The Missouri Department of Conservation ranks it among the continent's most important freshwater game fish. Spring: post-spawn fish scatter and can be slow for a couple of weeks. Fall: one of the best windows, with minnows on jigs and three-way rigs as the water cools toward ice-up.

White bass illustration

White bass

Best: the spring run up the tributaries, then summer surface schools

A silvery temperate bass of rivers and large reservoirs, also called sand bass, that schools in open water after shad and runs up tributaries to spawn in early spring. The spring run happens in this band: tributaries, shoals and the upper ends of reservoirs as the water reaches about 55Β°F.

Northern pike illustration

Northern pike

Best: cool water, from ice-out through spring, in fall and under the ice

A long, duck-billed predator of weedy lakes, slow rivers and backwaters that ambushes fish from vegetation. Wisconsin DNR points out that, unlike most of the state's common game fish, pike do their best feeding in cool water. The best band for pike: right after ice-out they move into flooded vegetated shallows to spawn, and they feed actively again as the water cools in fall.

Crappie illustration

Crappie

Best: the spring spawn; summer around docks, brush and the thermocline

Two slab-sided panfish, the white crappie and the black crappie, that gather around submerged timber, brush piles, docks and bridge pilings in lakes, reservoirs and slow river backwaters. Texas Parks and Wildlife counts crappie as the state's most popular panfish. Pre-spawn fish move toward shallow coves, and Iowa DNR points to wading as an effective way to reach them in spring; minnows or small jigs under a float.

Smallmouth bass illustration

Smallmouth bass

Best: spring and fall, when bigger fish come shallow

A bronze-brown black bass of clear, cool streams and rocky lakes, with dark vertical bars instead of a side stripe. Michigan DNR says its southeastern coast, from Port Huron to Lake Erie, is known nationally for both the size and the number of its smallmouth. Spring pre-spawn and fall: Iowa DNR notes the larger bass come up to shallow structure, where a shallow-running minnow bait or a spinnerbait just under the surface works.

Yellow perch illustration

Yellow perch

Caught all year, including under the ice through winter

Yellow perch are schooling panfish of the Great Lakes and northern lakes, and Michigan DNR calls them the game fish most often caught in that state. Spring and fall: perch hold shallower and, by Michigan DNR's account, feed through the day, so shoreline weed edges, flats and the shallows near spawning areas are worth searching.

Muskellunge illustration

Muskellunge

Fished from late spring into late fall where seasons allow

Muskellunge are solitary, fish-eating ambush predators of the pike family, holding in weed beds and other cover in lakes and rivers of the Great Lakes, upper Mississippi and Ohio basins. This band covers the spring spawn, which in Wisconsin runs at 49-60Β°F; spawning muskies eat little and rarely chase lures, Wisconsin DNR says. After the spawn, and again as fall water cools, work large lures along weed edges and structure.

When to come: the Lake Ashtabula 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
Smallmouth bass
Yellow perch
Muskellunge
SlowPeak

Water temperature through the year

Typical surface temperature for this water type; today is around 55 F (estimated, not a reading).

304050607080JanMarMayJulSepNovOct, ~55 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 Lake Ashtabula today, and we feature the best catch of the week.

Water log, last days

Auto-logged from live data
Thu, Oct 22

2/5 Slow. Work for them. Conditions favor short windows and patient fishing. Muskellunge led the card at excellent. High of 75 F, wind to 16 mph.

Wed, Oct 21

2/5 Slow. Work for them. Conditions favor short windows and patient fishing. Muskellunge led the card at excellent. High of 64 F, wind to 10 mph.

Tue, Oct 20

4/5 Good. Solid day ahead. Stable-to-falling pressure and workable wind line things up. Walleye led the card at excellent. High of 69 F, wind to 16 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 fishing license. 2026-28 proclamation, statewide limits: walleye, sauger and saugeye 5 combined; northern pike 5; black bass 5; yellow perch 20; white bass 30; crappie 10; muskellunge 1, 48-inch minimum. No dark house spearing or bow fishing on Lake Ashtabula.

Access

NDGF lists Corps-managed access at Karnack Bridge, Sibley Crossing, Ashtabula Crossing (east and west ramps), Eggerts Landing, Sundstroms Landing and Mel Rieman; floating fishing piers at Sibley Crossing, Ashtabula Crossing, Eggerts Landing and Sundstroms Landing.

About this water

A Corps of Engineers reservoir behind Baldhill Dam (1950) on the Sheyenne River, Barnes County, North Dakota, north of Valley City.

Fishing Lake Ashtabula: the full guide

Baldhill Dam and the Sheyenne

Baldhill Dam was completed in 1950, mainly for water supply, and also gives flood protection along the Sheyenne River. The Corps of Engineers runs seven recreation areas and maintains seven boat ramps on the lake, which it places 12 miles northwest of Valley City, and manages 14 wildlife areas around it. The lake level on this page comes from the USGS gauge at Baldhill Dam.

Walleye, pike and smallmouth

North Dakota Game and Fish rates walleye, northern pike and smallmouth bass abundant, with a good number of larger fish, and perch, crappie, white bass and bluegill moderate; muskellunge are present. The department stocked 549,680 walleye fingerlings in 2026 and 413,350 in 2025, and adult yellow perch in 2024 and 2025.

The 2025 survey

In NDGF's 2025 gill nets, walleye averaged 16.9 inches and reached 28.7, white bass averaged 15 inches and northern pike 28.4 inches. Boat electrofishing that year caught mostly smallmouth bass, up to 19.7 inches.

Zebra mussels and spearing

NDGF lists zebra mussels as present in Lake Ashtabula, so clean and drain boats and gear before moving to other water. The 2026-28 proclamation also leaves Lake Ashtabula out of the dark house spearing and bow fishing season.

Common questions

Are walleye stocked in Lake Ashtabula?

Yes. NDGF stocked 549,680 walleye fingerlings in 2026 and 413,350 in 2025.

Can I spear fish through the ice here?

No. The 2026-28 proclamation excludes Lake Ashtabula from dark house spearing and bow fishing.

Where can I fish from shore?

NDGF lists floating fishing piers at Sibley Crossing, Ashtabula Crossing, Eggerts Landing and Sundstroms Landing, plus shore access near the boat ramps.

Is fishing good at Lake Ashtabula 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

Jamestown Reservoir32 miPipestem Reservoir37 miSheyenne River57 miRed River of the North74 miDevils Lake79 miWaubay Lake122 mi

Where this page's numbers come from

River and reservoir readings
USGS 05057500 β€” LAKE ASHTABULA AT BALDHILL DAM, ND
Read from the USGS Water Data API (api.waterdata.usgs.gov). Latest value timestamped 2026-10-23 at 19:00 UTC.
Weather and pressure
Open-Meteo forecast model
Queried at 47.1025, -98.0267 in this water's own timezone. A model, not an observation.
Moon and solunar windows
Calculated on this site
Astronomical calculation from these coordinates and the date, not a third-party feed. How much weight it deserves.
Pages checked
The facts in the written guide were checked against these pages, from the agencies and operators that manage the water, on October 7, 2026. Anything we could not verify was taken out.
The written guide on this page
Pablo Ruiz Quintero
How this page was made. The daily report is computed by our scoring engine from live readings; nobody types it. The written text was drafted with AI assistance from the official pages listed above, and its facts were checked against those pages by automated verification on October 7, 2026; anything that could not be verified was taken out. Pablo Ruiz Quintero sets every guideline, the data-verification system and the minimum standards a page must meet to be published, reviews page structure and approves what goes live; the responsibility is his, and the AI carries out the work. We work this way because it is how one person can keep every page current with named sources. Errors are published in the verification log; the full policy is in the editorial policy.

Readings refresh on a 30-minute window. The full method, with every figure and its source, is on how our reports are made. Something wrong here? Tell us and it goes in the log with the date.