Seasons & Limits
Hook and Line Fishing
Open Areas and Season Dates
Open Areas and Season Dates
ALL WATERS of the state are open to fishing year-round except below.
| |
| Area | Season |
|---|---|
| OWLS Pond, State Fair Pond | Closed to fishing at night (sunset to sunrise). |
| Lightning Lake | Closed to all ice fishing. Open to all open-water fishing. |
| Portions or all of the following waterfowl rest area: Sheyenne Lake | Closed to all fishing September 20 through ice up. Open to all fishing all other times. |
| All national wildlife refuges and easement national wildlife refuges are closed to fishing except the following (contact refuge headquarters for designated open areas and special restrictions): | |
| Arrowwood, J. Clark Salyer, Lake Darling (and all waters within the Upper Souris refuge boundary), Lake Ilo, Long Lake and Tewaukon national wildlife refuges | Open to shore and/or ice fishing April 1 through March 31 in designated areas. Open to boat fishing May 1 through September 30 in designated areas. Closed to all boating October 1 through April 30. |
| Lake Alice and Lake Audubon (southern half of lake) national wildlife refuges | Open to ice fishing only. Closed to all other fishing and all boating. |
| Dakota Lake, Hobart Lake, Lake Ardoch, Rose Lake, Sibley Lake (Griggs Co), and Silver Lake (Benson Co) | Open to all fishing from April 1 through March 31 of each fishing year. Boat fishing may be restricted at certain times of the year. Contact refuges for specific areas and times open to boat fishing. |
Statewide Daily and Possession Limits and Exceptions
Statewide Daily and Possession Limits
| Species | Daily Limit | Possession Limit |
|---|---|---|
| Walleye, Sauger, Saugeye or Combination (a) | 5 | 10 |
| Northern Pike | 5 | 10 |
| Yellow Perch | 20 | 40 |
| White Bass | 20 | 40 |
| Bluegill | 10 | 20 |
| Crappie | 10 | 20 |
| Brown Trout, Cutthroat Trout, Lake Trout, Rainbow Trout, Tiger Trout or Combination | 3 | 6 |
| Salmon | 5 | 10 |
| Burbot (Ling) | 10 | 20 |
| Channel Catfish East of ND Hwy. 1 (b) | 5 | 5 |
| Channel Catfish West of ND Hwy. 1 | 20 | 40 |
| Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass or Combination | 5 | 10 |
| Muskellunge (pure or hybrid) | 1 | 1 |
| Paddlefish | See Paddlefish Snagging | |
| Nongame Fish (other than legal live baitfish) | no limit | no limit |
| Legal Live Baitfish (c) | 150 | 150 |
| Leeches | 300 | 300 |
| Smelt | 5 gallons | 5 gallons |
| Frogs | 50 | 50 |
| Salamanders | 50 | 50 |
| Crayfish | 50 | 50 |
| Snapping Turtle (d) | One annually | |
| a–Zander are included as part of the walleye, sauger, saugeye combination in Spiritwood and Alkali lakes (Stutsman Co.). b–In the Red and Bois de Sioux rivers, the limit is 5 catfish regardless of the number of state or provincial licenses purchased by the angler. c–Aggregate of all legal species (see Section 4). d–Only one snapping turtle may be harvested with hook and line equipment between July 1 through November 15 of each fishing year. | ||
Exceptions to Statewide Fish Limits
| Water | Exception |
|---|---|
| Red and Bois de Sioux rivers up to the first vehicular bridge or crossing on any of their tributaries | NORTHERN PIKE – Daily 3, Possession 3 WALLEYE, SAUGER, SAUGEYE OR COMBINATION – Daily 3, Possession 3 |
| Kraft Slough | YELLOW PERCH – Daily 10, Possession 20 |
| Lightning Lake | TROUT – Catch-and-release only from April 1 through June 30 |
| McDowell Dam | ALL SPECIES – Catch-and-release only while ice fishing |
| OWLS Pond | ALL SPECIES – Catch-and-release only |
| State Fair Pond | ALL SPECIES – Catch-and-release only from April 1 through July 31 |
| Fish size restrictions | |
