Share your catch

Lake Audubon Fishing Report

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

The quiet half of Garrison: Lake Audubon holds walleye and perch beside Sakakawea without the big-lake wind.

3/5
Fair. Fish the windows.A steady pattern: dawn and dusk carry the day.
Water temp
~66 F est.
Air / High
84 / 89 F
Wind
ESE 15 mph

Sources: 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.

3/5Fair. Fish the windows.A steady pattern: dawn and dusk carry the day.

Lake Audubon sits in the sweet spot of the season: active fish and workable weather. Today brings clear skies, wind ESE around 15 mph, steady pressure near 1009 hPa and a high of 89. 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

WalleyeGood

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

Northern pikeGood

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

White bassFair

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

CrappieSlow

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

Tomorrow: Warmer at 95 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.

No live gauge on this water

Conditions here are modeled from weather, season and the nearest stations. Water readings appear when a USGS gauge is available.

304050607080JanMarMayJulSepNovSep, ~66 F now

Right now

Latest readings

Air temp84 F
High / Low89 / 58 F
WindESE 15-22 mph
Pressure1008.5 hPa, steady
Sky / Rain1% cloud, 3%
Sunrise / Sunset07:07 / 20:19
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, 89/58 F, wind 17 mph, rain 3%

Fair or better. A 17 mph breeze puts a working chop on the banks it hits: fish the wind-blown side.

Species guide

The species that matter on Lake Audubon: 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 Lake Audubon 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 Lake Audubon 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 74 F, wind to 20 mph.

Wed, Sep 2

3/5 Fair. Fish the windows. A steady pattern: dawn and dusk carry the day. Walleye led the card at good. High of 85 F, wind to 16 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 10 mph.

Where roughly, what depth, what bait. Skip anything you want to keep secret.
Only used to send you this water's report each week. No spam, ever.

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; refuge rules apply on parts of the shoreline.

Access

Public ramps and access points around the lake; Audubon National Wildlife Refuge borders much of the shoreline.

About this water

A 15,000-acre reservoir adjoining Lake Sakakawea, McLean County, North Dakota, within the Audubon refuge.

Fishing Lake Audubon: the full guide

A companion reservoir

Lake Audubon covers about 15,000 acres in central North Dakota, separated from Lake Sakakawea by a highway embankment and fed through it by a canal. It functions as a quieter, shallower alternative to the big lake: walleye lead the fishery, with northern pike, yellow perch, white bass and smallmouth bass along the rock, all in water that warms faster and shelters better than Sakakawea.

Walleye water

Walleye hold the points, rock piles and the flats at 10-25 feet: jigs and live-bait rigs in spring and early summer, crawler harnesses trolled as the season progresses, and a strong fall bite. The lake’s smaller size and shallower profile make it easier to learn than Sakakawea, and it fishes well when wind makes the big lake unsafe.

Pike, perch and smallmouth

Northern pike patrol the weedy bays and shoreline cover, taking spoons and spinnerbaits year-round and dead bait through the ice. Yellow perch school over the flats in numbers, anchoring a busy winter fishery. Smallmouth bass work the rocky shorelines and riprap, an increasingly popular light-tackle option that most walleye anglers ignore.

McLean County logistics

Ramps and access points serve the lake at several locations, with the Audubon National Wildlife Refuge protecting much of the shoreline and adding excellent birding. Coleharbor and Garrison are the nearby towns. The lake sits directly alongside Sakakawea, so a trip can switch between them based on wind, which is the region’s defining variable.

Common questions

How does it compare with Sakakawea?

Smaller, shallower and far more sheltered: it fishes well when wind makes the big lake unsafe, with similar species.

Are there smallmouth?

Yes, along the rocky shorelines and riprap: a good light-tackle option that most anglers overlook.

Is it good for ice fishing?

Yes: walleye and perch through the winter, with the shallower profile freezing earlier than Sakakawea.

Is fishing good at Lake Audubon right now?

Check the daily report at the top of this page: it is regenerated every morning from live data. Today's read: Fair. Fish the windows. A steady pattern: dawn and dusk carry the day.

Nearby waters

Nelson Lake20 miLake Sakakawea54 miMissouri River57 miLake Darling63 miLake Tschida78 miLake Metigoshe103 mi
Share your catch