Exploring North Dakota’s Amazing Lake Sakakawea Fishing Paradise: Lake Sakakawea and Beyond
The trip started off on a high note: spotting a sizable walleye on the screen, watching it swing toward the bait, and finally landing it.
Moments like these are what anglers dream of — seeing the fish suspended on the sonar, following the bait down, and finally connecting. After a few attempts and observing a handful of good walleyes on the screen, it became clear: the afternoon bite might just turn on, and we were officially on the board.
Return to a Beloved State
Al and I made our way back to North Dakota, a place both of us have grown to love for its incredible fishing opportunities. This time, our destination was the Indian Hills Resort. We’ve fished various lakes in the state before — Lake Oahe, Devils Lake, Lake Sakakawea, Audubon, and more. Armed with jig and paddle tails, jig and split tails, hair jigs, and Jigging Raps, we were ready to chase walleyes all week, confident that good luck was on our side. 
The Rich History of Lake Sakakawea
Currently, we’re fishing on the expansive Lake Sakakawea, a major part of the Missouri River system. Picture a massive lake in the heart of North Dakota, stretching endlessly across the horizon. Lake Sakakawea, created by the Garrison Dam in the 1950s, is the second-largest man-made lake in the United States by area.
However, its creation came with a cost — the flooding displaced numerous Native American communities. The dam, built primarily for flood control, now also supplies massive amounts of hydroelectric power to the region.
Today, Lake Sakakawea is a hub for outdoor recreation, offering fishing, boating, camping, and even a state park that starts a hiking trail stretching all the way to Vermont. Adding a bit of mystery to its history, an Air Force jet that crashed into the lake in 1969 wasn’t discovered until 35 years later. Clearly, Sakakawea holds more stories than even the plentiful fish in its waters.
A Fisherman’s Playground
North Dakota is blessed with an incredible variety of fish species: catfish, smallmouth bass, walleye, giant pike, musky, drum — you name it. Few states offer such diverse multi-species fishing opportunities. For those seeking variety and abundance, North Dakota is a must-visit destination.
During our outing, we encountered healthy numbers of sturdy North Dakota walleyes, many caught on hair jigs — one of my favorite techniques. In these big reservoirs and lakes, it’s not unusual to find walleyes reaching 10, 11, or even 12 pounds.
A Surprise Smallmouth Bonanza
The action didn’t stop with walleyes. We spotted schools of smallmouth bass, some of them impressively large. Dropping hair jigs among the aggressive smallmouths produced immediate results, and it quickly turned into a lively session with multiple big fish chasing each other and our baits around.
According to Kelly, our gracious host at Indian Hills Resort, smallmouth bass in Sakakawea are often overlooked by visiting anglers who focus primarily on walleyes. It’s a missed opportunity because the smallmouth fishing here is exceptional. We certainly weren’t going to pass it up — and neither was a young guest at the resort who spent his last moments before heading back to school reeling in smallmouths off the dock.
Adapting to Changing Conditions
Fishing reservoirs like Sakakawea requires a bit of adaptation. Water levels can fluctuate dramatically, sometimes by 10 to 30 feet over a season. Upon arrival, we noticed discrepancies between our LakeMaster charts and the actual water depths. A quick adjustment using the water level offset feature on our Humminbird electronics (setting it to -10 feet) aligned the chart with real-world conditions, allowing us to find fish more efficiently. Setting the depth highlight feature afterwards ensured that we were targeting the correct zones.
Two Successful Patterns
We identified two productive patterns: targeting walleyes on large, featureless flats where fish were scattered in small pods, and jigging deeper in about 28 feet of water with jigging raps. Both strategies produced bites.
Lake Sakakawea’s size can be intimidating at first — it’s like fishing an ocean. Fortunately, Indian Hills Resort is ideally situated, providing quick access to productive fishing grounds and numerous boat ramps across the lake’s extensive shoreline.
Indian Hills Resort: A Home Away from Home
Indian Hills Resort, managed by Kelly and Dale, offers first-class accommodations. Whether you’re bringing a camper, staying in a condo, or renting a cabin, the resort is set up to meet every need. They offer full hookups, a gas dock, a boat landing, and lodging with full kitchens, living rooms, and gathering areas perfect for sharing fish tales at the end of the day. Indian Hills is truly a top-tier operation nestled right on the shores of Sakakawea.
Smallmouths Close to the Surface
During one memorable moment, a smallmouth bass hit just seconds after the lure touched the water, only two feet below the surface. It’s hard to beat that visual excitement. With calm weather persisting, the temptation to throw topwater baits grew stronger — an opportunity we hoped to explore before the trip ended.
Battling the Wind with Top-Notch Equipment
On windy days, equipment can make or break a fishing trip. Thanks to a high-performance trolling motor with spot-lock capability, we were able to hold position in solid three-foot waves, casting effectively even in challenging conditions. The trolling motor’s efficiency and power allowed us to fish long hours — up to 11 hours in a single day — without battery concerns. It’s safe to say it’s the best trolling motor setup I’ve ever used.
Jig Fishing and Beyond
Although Al and I enjoy the directness of jig fishing — that hand-to-hand combat feel — Sakakawea’s structure also lends itself beautifully to other techniques, like pulling crankbaits, running bottom bouncers, and rigging live bait. This body of water offers versatile fishing opportunities, from shallow flats to deep structure, making it a playground for anglers of all styles.
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Finishing Strong: Tools, Techniques, and Reflections
As our adventure continued, the excitement remained high. Using an extendo net proved essential for landing those last few feisty walleyes and smallmouth. Confidence in our gear paid off, particularly with one of my go-to jigging baits: the Moontail hair jig. This bait consistently delivers results, and trips like this reaffirm exactly why it holds such a permanent place in my tackle box.
Exploring New Waters — And New Adventures
Although it was tempting to stay on that smallmouth bite forever, we had plans to chase a few more walleyes before wrapping up our time on the water. As always, the trip was more than just fishing — it was about building memories, especially with good friends. And while this outing was all about walleyes and smallmouths, the next North Dakota adventure might just involve muskie fishing! With muskie stocking programs gaining momentum, opportunities are only growing.
North Dakota: A Hunter’s and Angler’s Paradise
Beyond fishing, North Dakota offers outstanding opportunities for hunters. Whether it’s pheasants, sharptail grouse, hares, sandhill cranes, waterfowl like geese and ducks, turkeys, mule deer, or whitetails — the list is long and impressive. For outdoorsmen who enjoy both hunting and fishing, fall is absolutely the time to plan your visit.
The coexistence of walleyes and smallmouths is another highlight. Across much of North America, the best smallmouth waters are often excellent walleye waters too. They share habitat, albeit usually at slightly different depths. This dynamic ensures that a trip targeting one species often offers plenty of action with the other as well.
The Perfect Gear for Jig Fishing Success
When it comes to the equipment that helped make this trip a success, here’s the winning setup:
• Rod: St. Croix Avid Walleye Series, 7’1″ medium power, moderately fast action. Originally designed for jig and wrap techniques, it excels at snap-jigging and is versatile enough for both bass and walleyes.
• Reel: Daiwa Kage MQLT 3000 Series. The larger arbor on the 3000 size facilitates faster line pickup — a crucial advantage when fishing in windy conditions or when managing slack line during snap-jigging.
• Line: 8lb Sufix 832 braided line tied directly to an 8lb Advanced Fluorocarbon leader. The no-stretch quality of this setup allows for immediate hook sets and better control of the bait and fish.
A Lake Full of Opportunity
Fish after fish came to the boat — smallmouths, walleyes, and plenty of them aggressive and ready to strike. The beauty of these fisheries is how plentiful quality fish are. In lakes like Sakakawea and others throughout North Dakota, 17–19 inch walleyes are common, offering both excellent sport and good table fare.
If you’ve never traveled north to experience this caliber of fishing, it’s a trip well worth taking. And yes, if you’re wondering, you can absolutely enjoy incredible smallmouth action alongside your walleye pursuits.
