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Pipestem Reservoir Fishing Report

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

A prairie flood-control lake near Jamestown: Pipestem holds walleye, pike and perch in North Dakota grassland.

4/5
Good. Solid day ahead.Stable-to-falling pressure and workable wind line things up.
Flow
20 cfs
Air / High
86 / 87 F
Wind
ESE 12 mph

Sources: USGS gauge 06469400, 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.

Pipestem Reservoir lines up a genuinely fishable day across the board. The river is running 20 cfs, on the rise. Today brings cloud cover, wind ESE around 12 mph, steady pressure near 1010 hPa and a high of 87. 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 87 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 Pipestem Creek near Pingree (inflow).

Flow, last 30 days

USGS gauge 06469400.

6121720 cfs08/0508/1508/2509/04

Right now

Latest readings

Air temp86 F
High / Low87 / 56 F
WindESE 12-14 mph
Pressure1010.4 hPa, steady
Sky / Rain98% cloud, 6%
Sunrise / Sunset06:58 / 20:09
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, 87/56 F, wind 13 mph, rain 6%

Fair or better. A 13 mph breeze puts a working chop on the banks it hits: fish the wind-blown side.

Species guide

The species that matter on Pipestem 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 Pipestem 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 Pipestem Reservoir today, and we feature the best catch of the week.

Water log, last days

Auto-logged from live data
Thu, Sep 3

5/5 Excellent. Go now. Everything lines up: pressure, wind and light are in your favor. Walleye led the card at excellent. High of 79 F, wind to 13 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 83 F, wind to 11 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.
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; check for any reservoir-specific rules.

Access

Corps of Engineers recreation areas and boat ramp at the dam north of Jamestown.

About this water

A Corps flood-control reservoir on Pipestem Creek, Stutsman County, North Dakota.

Fishing Pipestem Reservoir: the full guide

A flood-control lake

Pipestem Reservoir sits on Pipestem Creek just north of Jamestown, North Dakota, a Corps of Engineers flood-control impoundment of a few thousand acres in rolling prairie. Water levels swing substantially with the flood-control mission, and that variability shapes the fishery: walleye, northern pike, yellow perch, white bass and panfish.

Walleye and pike

Walleye relate to the old creek channel, points and any remaining structure, taken on jigs and crawler harnesses through the open-water season. Northern pike patrol the shallower bays and any vegetation, taken on spoons and spinnerbaits. Level fluctuations move fish year to year, so local information matters more than usual here.

Perch and ice

Yellow perch provide a solid winter fishery, and Pipestem sees steady ice-fishing pressure from Jamestown anglers from December through March. Small jigs tipped with waxworms or minnow heads on the flats produce, with pike taken on tip-ups. Always check ice conditions on a reservoir with changing levels.

Stutsman County logistics

Access is via the dam area and Corps recreation sites north of Jamestown, with a boat ramp, camping and day-use facilities. Jamestown provides full services minutes away, and Jamestown Reservoir sits nearby as a second option. Wind is constant on the prairie: plan around it.

Common questions

Do levels change much?

Yes: the flood-control mission swings levels substantially, which moves fish and changes the fishery year to year.

Is there ice fishing?

Yes: perch and pike from December through March, with steady pressure from Jamestown. Check ice carefully.

What else is nearby?

Jamestown Reservoir is minutes away and offers a second option when Pipestem is off.

Is fishing good at Pipestem 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

Jamestown Reservoir5 miLake Ashtabula32 miDevils Lake77 miSheyenne River84 miMissouri River97 miLake Audubon123 mi
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