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Lake Tschida Fishing Report

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

North Dakota badlands water: Lake Tschida holds walleye, pike and perch behind Heart Butte Dam.

2/5
Slow. Work for them.Conditions favor short windows and patient fishing.
Flow
11 cfs
Air / High
86 / 90 F
Wind
SE 16 mph

Sources: USGS gauge 06345780, 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.

2/5Slow. Work for them.Conditions favor short windows and patient fishing.

Lake Tschida offers the kind of conditions this water was made for. The river is running 11 cfs, on the rise. Today brings clear skies, wind SE around 16 mph, rising pressure near 1006 hPa and a high of 90. 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 96 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 Heart River above Lake Tschida.

Flow, last 30 days

USGS gauge 06345780.

11284511 cfs08/0508/1508/2509/04

Right now

Latest readings

Air temp86 F
High / Low90 / 57 F
WindSE 16-21 mph
Pressure1006.4 hPa, rising
Sky / Rain0% cloud, 2%
Sunrise / Sunset06:11 / 19:20
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 PMsunrisesunset

Next 7 days

Tap a day for the detailed outlook.

Fri Sep 4 · Showers, 90/57 F, wind 17 mph, rain 2%

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 Tschida: 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 Tschida 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 Tschida 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 79 F, wind to 17 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 81 F, wind to 18 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 78 F, wind to 10 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

Reclamation and county ramps, campgrounds and shoreline access around the reservoir.

About this water

A 4,000-acre reservoir on the Heart River behind Heart Butte Dam, Grant County, North Dakota.

Fishing Lake Tschida: the full guide

A prairie reservoir

Lake Tschida spreads about 4,000 acres behind Heart Butte Dam on the Heart River in southwestern North Dakota, in rolling country at the edge of the badlands. It is a solid prairie fishery: walleye lead, joined by northern pike, yellow perch, crappie, white bass and channel catfish, in water that runs fertile and stained.

Walleye and pike

Walleye hold the points, rocky shorelines and flats: jigs with minnows in spring near the inflow, trolled crawler harnesses and bottom bouncers through summer, and a strong fall jig bite. Northern pike patrol the weedy bays and shallow arms, taking spoons and spinnerbaits, and they anchor a significant part of the winter ice fishery.

Perch and the ice

Yellow perch school over the flats in numbers and support both open-water and hard-water fishing. Winter draws a substantial crowd: the reservoir freezes reliably and anglers work the flats and structure for walleye, perch and pike. Crappie and white bass appear in varying numbers depending on the year and water level.

Grant County logistics

The Bureau of Reclamation and the county manage ramps, camping and shoreline access around the reservoir. Water levels vary with irrigation demand and drought, sometimes substantially. Elgin and Glen Ullin are the nearby towns, with Bismarck about 70 miles east. Wind is a constant across open prairie: mornings are the reliable window.

Common questions

What is the main species?

Walleye, backed by northern pike and abundant yellow perch that support a busy winter ice fishery.

Does the level change?

Yes, with irrigation and drought: check current elevation before towing, as ramps can be affected.

Is ice fishing popular?

Very: the reservoir freezes reliably and draws anglers for walleye, perch and pike through the winter.

Is fishing good at Lake Tschida right now?

Check the daily report at the top of this page: it is regenerated every morning from live data. Today's read: Slow. Work for them. Conditions favor short windows and patient fishing.

Nearby waters

Missouri River49 miNelson Lake59 miLake Audubon78 miLake Sakakawea90 miLake Darling134 miPipestem Reservoir145 mi
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