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Lake Sakakawea Fishing Report

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

Lake Sakakawea: the Corps' 178-mile Missouri River reservoir, where North Dakota Game and Fish reports above-average walleye numbers for 2026.

3/5
Fair. Fish the windows.A steady pattern: dawn and dusk carry the day.
Gauge
12.98 ft
Air / High
68 / 73 F
Wind
SE 14 mph

Sources: USGS gauge 06330000, 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.

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

Lake Sakakawea rewards those who follow the bait as the water cools. The inflow gauge reads 12.98 ft, holding steady. Today brings clear skies, wind SE around 14 mph, falling pressure near 1001 hPa and a high of 73. Water sits around 55 F for the season (estimated). With the waxing gibbous, the solunar majors run 10:25 AM-12:25 PM and 10:49 PM-12:49 AM: the windows to build the day around.

The plan, species by species

Rainbow troutExcellent

This band overlaps Vermont's 54-66Β°F stream preference: fish feed across riffles, runs and pocket water, and in lakes WDFW says spring and fall bring them near the surface.

WalleyeGood

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 pikeGood

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 bassGood

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.

Catfish (blue, channel)Good

In spring after ice-out, Iowa finds channel cats feeding on winter-killed shad on the shallow, warmer mudflats at the upper ends of reservoirs; cut bait on the bottom works there.

Chinook salmonSlow

Runs enter the rivers: drift roe or sand shrimp through travel lanes, plunk a wrapped plug, or float eggs in eddies and tidewater.

Tomorrow: Cooler at 56 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 MISSOURI RIVER NEAR WILLISTON, ND (inflow).

Gauge height, last 30 days

USGS gauge 06330000.

12.8113.1913.5612.98 ft09/2310/0310/1310/23

Right now

Latest readings

Air temp68 F
High / Low73 / 53 F
WindSE 14-24 mph
Pressure1000.6 hPa, falling
Sky / Rain6% cloud, 2%
Sunrise / Sunset08:20 / 18:46
MoonWaxing Gibbous, 91%
Water temp (gauge)53 F USGS
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 Sakakawea this week

The best day on Lake Sakakawea this week looks like Thursday Oct 29, at 4 out of 5, against 3 today.

Best day this week: Thursday, Oct 29 β€” good at 4/5, falling pressure, usually the best window of a week.

Today, Oct 23 β€” Fair

A steady pattern: dawn and dusk carry the day.

Solunar majors
10:25 AM-12:25 PM and 10:49 PM-12:49 AM
Minor period
4:50 AM-5:50 AM
Sun
08:20 to 18:46
Moon
Waxing Gibbous, 91% lit
Sky and wind
Overcast, 24 mph
Rain chance
2%

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

Species guide

The species that matter on Lake Sakakawea: 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.

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.

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.

Catfish (blue, channel) illustration

Catfish (blue, channel)

Year-round, best at dusk and after dark

Three big catfish share most of the country's rivers and reservoirs: the channel catfish, the most widespread; the blue catfish, the largest; and the flathead, which hunts live fish. All feed mostly on or near the bottom. In spring after ice-out, Iowa finds channel cats feeding on winter-killed shad on the shallow, warmer mudflats at the upper ends of reservoirs; cut bait on the bottom works there.

Rainbow trout illustration

Rainbow trout

Spring and fall in most lakes; rivers fish year-round while the water stays cool

A cold-water trout native to Pacific drainages from Alaska to Baja California, now stocked in most states and fished in rivers, tailwaters and lakes. This band overlaps Vermont's 54-66Β°F stream preference: fish feed across riffles, runs and pocket water, and in lakes WDFW says spring and fall bring them near the surface.

Chinook salmon illustration

Chinook salmon

Seasons follow the runs: spring, summer and fall runs on the West Coast, and late summer into fall in Great Lakes rivers

The largest Pacific salmon, caught by trolling and mooching at sea and by drifting and plunking in rivers as adults return to spawn; also stocked in the Great Lakes. Runs enter the rivers: drift roe or sand shrimp through travel lanes, plunk a wrapped plug, or float eggs in eddies and tidewater.

When to come: the Lake Sakakawea 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
Northern pike
Smallmouth bass
Catfish (blue, channel)
Rainbow trout
Chinook salmon
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 Sakakawea 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. Rainbow trout led the card at excellent. High of 76 F, wind to 19 mph.

Wed, Oct 21

3/5 Fair. Fish the windows. A steady pattern: dawn and dusk carry the day. Rainbow trout led the card at excellent. High of 65 F, wind to 18 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 2026-28 regulations (read today): walleye, sauger and saugeye 5 a day combined (10 in possession); salmon 5 a day (10 in possession). Salmon snagging, archery and spearing are legal sunup to sundown, September 25 to October 31, from Garrison Dam upstream to the Highway 23 bridge near New Town. Rainbow smelt may be taken here.

Access

Fort Stevenson State Park, three miles south of Garrison on the north shore, has two marinas (Garrison Bay and de Trobriand Bay) with boat-ramp access. The Corps says most boat ramps are in recreation or wildlife management areas, with shoreline access areas besides.

About this water

Missouri River reservoir behind Garrison Dam (Corps of Engineers, 1953), 178 miles long with over 1,500 miles of shoreline, western North Dakota.

Fishing Lake Sakakawea: the full guide

Garrison Dam's lake

The Corps of Engineers finished Garrison Dam near Riverdale in 1953. The Omaha District calls Lake Sakakawea the third-largest man-made lake in the United States, 178 miles long with over 1,500 miles of shoreline, and says fishing is the primary recreation activity. Federal, tribal, state, county and city partners run campgrounds, parks and marinas around it.

Walleye, pike and smallmouth in 2026

In its 2026 outlook, Game and Fish reports that high forage abundance has kept Sakakawea walleye in good condition, that abundance rose in 2025 and is above the long-term average, and that anglers should find good numbers of 11- to 20-inch fish with larger ones mainly in the middle and lower reservoir. Northern pike have declined from a record high in 2012, though trophy fish over 15 pounds are still present. The department rates the smallmouth population good, and catfish are found throughout the reservoir, with the best fishing in the upper end.

Salmon and smelt

Rainbow smelt were stocked in the early 1970s to improve the forage base and now feed the lake's chinook salmon, according to Game and Fish. The department spawns salmon in fall and stocks them in spring, because the fish would disappear within about five years without it. It reported good salmon fishing in 2025, averaging about 7.5 pounds with larger fish near 16 pounds. Many of the biggest salmon are caught in the Garrison Dam tailrace, mostly fish that came through the dam from the lake.

Common questions

How are the walleye doing?

North Dakota Game and Fish says walleye abundance increased in 2025 and is above the long-term average, with good numbers of 11- to 20-inch fish expected in 2026.

When is salmon snagging allowed?

From September 25 to October 31, sunup to sundown, between Garrison Dam and the Highway 23 bridge near New Town, under the 2026-28 regulations.

How big do Sakakawea pike get?

Game and Fish says pike numbers are down from the 2012 record high, but trophy-sized fish over 15 pounds are still present.

Is fishing good at Lake Sakakawea 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

Lake Ilo34 miLake Audubon54 miLake Darling59 miNelson Lake69 miLake Tschida85 miMissouri River97 mi

Where this page's numbers come from

River and reservoir readings
USGS 06330000 β€” MISSOURI RIVER NEAR WILLISTON, ND (inflow)
Read from the USGS Water Data API (api.waterdata.usgs.gov). Latest value timestamped 2026-10-23 at 18:00 UTC.
Weather and pressure
Open-Meteo forecast model
Queried at 47.7716, -102.3296 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.