Kayak Fishing In North Dakota

[Jasonsman]

Hey guys and gals,
I am new to forums, but decided to start doing some kayak fishing this upcoming spring/summer. I sold my boat a few years ago to be able to pay for fertility treatments for my wife and I, and just haven't been into shore fishing like i thought i was going to be.

Where are some spots that are best suited for kayak fishing around the Fargo area ? I am looking to try catch some bass, walleye and perch. I know there is the Red, Maple, and Sheyene Rivers. Also Brewer Lake, and Casselton park as well. Any guidance would be greatly appreciated. Really looking forward to getting in to kayak fishing !

 

[ND58201]

I would go east if it were me. Lots of little lakes around Hawley that are full of panfish and bass. There are a couple of good lakes/sloughs East of Barnesville that are good bass fishing too. Out of state license is like $50 but you will save that in gas not having to drive to Lidgerwood/Valley City areas to fish.

 

[64Mustang]

Very interested in doing the same thing and have been considering buying a kayak. Anyone have experiences/suggestions on what is best to buy? Are they hard to get in/out of? I am not overly flexible and have been that way my whole life, it is better to get one with a chair/platform or are they less stable?

I would concur with the numerous small lakes around Hawley and would suggest going that way as well. Might be some sloughs in eastern ND that have pike in them that normal boats can't get to also.

 

[guywhofishes]

I would certainly own one if it weren't for the wind in this territory. MN lakes would be tolerable I suppose.

 

[Jasonsman]

Very interested in doing the same thing and have been considering buying a kayak. Anyone have experiences/suggestions on what is best to buy? Are they hard to get in/out of? I am not overly flexible and have been that way my whole life, it is better to get one with a chair/platform or are they less stable?

I would concur with the numerous small lakes around Hawley and would suggest going that way as well. Might be some sloughs in eastern ND that have pike in them that normal boats can't get to also.

Do you have any particular lakes you would recommend ? I am not familiar with fishing in minnesota, and did most of my fishing on Devils Lake while growing up. If you don't want to mention them, i understand. Some people like to keep their spots on the down low, and i can understand.

 

[ND 41 Hunter]

I sold my boat several years ago and have been kayak fishing since then. Love it. I always liked fishing smaller lakes anyway so that didn't change much. You have to do a little more research to be successful as you can't just cover a whole lake searching for fish. I like to find the lakes without boat ramps- more peaceful. Also the older I get its the quality of time, not the quantity of fish. Make sure to get a good stable kayak for fishing, but the trade off is it won't be the fastest. Good luck!

 

[ShootnBlanks]

I purchased a kayak last year. Since owning it, my boat was on the lake 1 time. Really considering just selling it while prices are decent. Ive been fishing smaller lakes in ND and while it does have obvious disadvantages at times, I find it highly rewarding and peaceful as well. I didn't go fancy with a motor or even foot pedal drive. Rowing it was sort of what I liked about it. Almost every brand has a fishing model of some sort. Sit on top and a comfy seat is what I recommend.

 

[westwolfone]

Check out the Yakangler videos on Youtube. He's from Fargo and fishes around the area a lot.

 

[Jasonsman]

Check out the Yakangler videos on Youtube. He's from Fargo and fishes around the area a lot.

I do watch him quite a bit, but he never happens to mention where he is at other than a lake in North Dakota or a Lake in Minnesota

 

[westwolfone]

I do watch him quite a bit, but he never happens to mention where he is at other than a lake in North Dakota or a Lake in Minnesota

He does the Sheyenne a lot.

 

[KDM]

I have fished the Sheyenne river THOUSANDS of times and there are tons of good walleye spots to be found that are well suited to a kayak. However, flowing water WILL KILL YOU if you make a mistake and dump a kayak into cold moving water. A couple years back we lost two men in a canoe while they were hunting spring beavers. I would recommend you get some experience in small ponds and lakes BEFORE heading out on the Sheyenne or any other river. Once you get some experience there, I would start with the buffalo river first as a beginner river. It tends to be more shallow than the maple, Sheyenne, and certainly the red. WHEN you dump the keyak, the buffalo should allow you to stand up and get yourself situated again. There are also lots of snags in the buffalo where you can practice going around obstacles in current. As always wear a good quality life jacket. I prefer the inflatable type as paddling with a vest style can and will give you blisters in your arm pits and inner biceps. NOT FUN!! Good Luck!!!

 

[Jasonsman]

I have fished the Sheyenne river THOUSANDS of times and there are tons of good walleye spots to be found that are well suited to a kayak. However, flowing water WILL KILL YOU if you make a mistake and dump a kayak into cold moving water. A couple years back we lost two men in a canoe while they were hunting spring beavers. I would recommend you get some experience in small ponds and lakes BEFORE heading out on the Sheyenne or any other river. Once you get some experience there, I would start with the buffalo river first as a beginner river. It tends to be more shallow than the maple, Sheyenne, and certainly the red. WHEN you dump the keyak, the buffalo should allow you to stand up and get yourself situated again. There are also lots of snags in the buffalo where you can practice going around obstacles in current. As always wear a good quality life jacket. I prefer the inflatable type as paddling with a vest style can and will give you blisters in your arm pits and inner biceps. NOT FUN!! Good Luck!!!

Thank you for the tips and sorry for your loss. I wont lie, the idea of fishing on the rivers intimidates me a bit. Thankfully there are some decent lakes in order for me to get used to things

 

[ORCUS DEMENS]

Jasonsman, welcome to the site. I would test a couple different kayaks before purchasing one. Wider kayaks are more stable. Sit in more stable than sit on. I have been kayak fishing North Dakota for the past 7 years. Mostly central part of the state as I am in Minot. If you are getting a kayak primarily for fishing, there are a couple small things that make a big difference. First, a place to mount rod holders, make sure they don't interfere with paddling. Second, a transducer cutout, you can rip off a transduce against a rock or tree with no effort. Third, dry storage area for wallet, keys etc. Lastly, somewhere to keep your catch/cooler that is in easy reach. Finally never lift your butt out of the seat, you will flip so fast you won't know what happened. With that in mind enjoy. I have had some wonderful experiences while out in the kayak.

 

[Maddog]

check out Hobie fishing kayaks

 

[wslayer]

I looked into this last year. I think I would prefer pedal drive for our bodies of water and winds. Doesn't take much breeze to blow you off a spot and then you need to set rod down, paddle back into position and so on. My kayak fishing buddy agrees, wishes he would have bought pedal unit. Probably be triple the price.

 

[sl1000794]

I looked into this last year. I think I would prefer pedal drive for our bodies of water and winds. Doesn't take much breeze to blow you off a spot and then you need to set rod down, paddle back into position and so on. My kayak fishing buddy agrees, wishes he would have bought pedal unit. Probably be triple the price.

And 1/20th or less than the price of a boat, motors and trailer + licensing!

 

[Jasonsman]

Jasonsman, welcome to the site. I would test a couple different kayaks before purchasing one. Wider kayaks are more stable. Sit in more stable than sit on. I have been kayak fishing North Dakota for the past 7 years. Mostly central part of the state as I am in Minot. If you are getting a kayak primarily for fishing, there are a couple small things that make a big difference. First, a place to mount rod holders, make sure they don't interfere with paddling. Second, a transducer cutout, you can rip off a transduce against a rock or tree with no effort. Third, dry storage area for wallet, keys etc. Lastly, somewhere to keep your catch/cooler that is in easy reach. Finally never lift your butt out of the seat, you will flip so fast you won't know what happened. With that in mind enjoy. I have had some wonderful experiences while out in the kayak.

What do you recommend for storing your catch while you are on the water ? I've seen people use fish bags, a cooler, a stringer, etc. Kinda seems like there are many options.

 

[sl1000794]

However you store your catch you should realize that where you land it and store it will probably be the FIRST time the fish has had contact with a solid surface. As a result DO NOT throw the fish into a cooler or dry live well or let the fish flop around on the floor of the boat and let the meat be bruised. For the last 40+ years all of my fishing in CA has been salmon fishing in the Pacific (except when we were SCUBA diving and spearing fish.) Salmon cannot be filleted onboard in the ocean. Chinook (king) salmon are legal but Coho (silvers) are not. Other than a scale test in a lab the 2 species can be differentiated by looking at the gums and tail of the fish in the field.

 

[fireone]

NDGF is your friend on places to go that fit your criteria. Stocking reports, species by lake & maps are on their website and listed by county too.

 

[honkerslayer]

Hobies are good but the pedal drive is kind of a pain for positioning. I prefer the pedal yaks with a prop. Much better for positioning as reverse is simply a couple of pedals backwards. Old town and Wilderness Systems make nice sit on top fishing kayaks. I own a WS radar with pedal drive and love it. I fish Sakakawea with it a lot and do very well catching walleyes out of it. Love fishing in the spring when ice still blocks boats from getting out. Don’t buy a cheap one as you get what you pay for. The nice ones are very stable.

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Forgot to mention. Most of NDYAKANGLER videos are on the otter tail river near Fergus Falls. At least that’s where most of the smallmouth videos are done.