Devils Lake ice fishing

Devils Lake is in north-central North Dakota, right on US Highway 2, about 166 miles from Fargo and 189 miles from Winnipeg. It's roughly 80 miles south of the Canadian border. If you're coming from the Twin Cities, plan on about 400 miles.

The lake has an unusual history. During the Dust Bowl it shrank to around 11 square miles. Since then it has grown to roughly 240 square miles, or about 145,000 acres, flooding old farmyards and roads along the way. Today perch are the big winter draw, and the town of Devils Lake is set up for visiting anglers, with guides, bait shops, and hotels that cater to them.

What you're fishing for

In open water Devils Lake is known for walleye. Once it freezes, it's mostly a perch lake, and perch are the favorite for most winter anglers. Walleye, northern pike, and white bass are all in the mix too.

The daily rhythm here is pretty well known. Perch keep business hours, roughly 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., so most people chase perch through the middle of the day and switch to walleye early and late. Tip-ups for pike are a common way to add some variety.

There's no closed season on the lake. Ice fishing can start any time from mid-December, depending on conditions, and in some years it runs into late March or early April.

Kinds of trips

Guided trips are the most common way people get started here. Guides are usually on the ice by mid to late December, and a lot of first-timers book a guided day in advance before trying the lake on their own. Some guide services run clients around in heated, tracked SnoBear vehicles, which keeps you warm and lets you move with the fish. Some also supply everything from rods and reels to bait, lures, and electronics.

Some guide services own their own lodging, and others put together fishing and lodging packages with local resorts and hotels, so you can book the whole trip at once. Several hotels in town have heated fish-cleaning rooms for guests, and there's a free, heated public fish-cleaning station on Highway 20.

If you're fishing on your own, a local committee made up of parks, tourism, city, and county staff works to keep winter lake accesses open so vehicles can get onto the ice. Getting to those accesses means county roads, and both the roads and the accesses depend on conditions. The tourism office posts updates on ice and travel conditions.

Licenses and rules

Residents and nonresidents 16 and older need a North Dakota fishing license. Nonresidents under 16 can fish without one if they're with someone who has a valid license. North Dakota licenses run from April 1 to March 31, so check that yours covers the dates of a late-winter trip.

North Dakota's fishing regulations are set for two years at a time. As of the current regulations, covering April 1, 2026 through March 31, 2028:

• Yellow perch: 20 daily, 40 in possession.
• Walleye (including sauger and saugeye): 5 daily, 10 in possession.
• Northern pike: 5 daily, 10 in possession.
• Lines: up to four poles per angler while ice fishing, and each tip-up counts as one pole.

Darkhouse spearing is generally open November 15 through March 15, and walleye are legal for darkhouse spearing in the Devils Lake complex south of Highway 2.

North Dakota has its own fish house rules. Houses don't need a license, but any house left unoccupied has to be built from materials that float and needs either a Game and Fish registration number or your name with an address or phone number on the outside, in letters at least 3 inches high. Houses can't be set within 50 feet of another house unless the other owner agrees. Starting March 15, unoccupied houses must come off the ice by midnight each day.

Before you go

• Call a local bait shop or guide before you arrive. They'll tell you what's working, and they'll know current access conditions better than anyone.
• Check the tourism office's ice and travel conditions updates before you drive out to a lake access.
• Don't treat a cold forecast as a sign the ice is good. Ask people who are out on it.
• Bring warm clothes, boots, a shelter, a heater, and a fish finder if you're going on your own. A handheld GPS helps you find the depth fish are holding at and repeat it elsewhere.
• Pack gear for perch, walleye, and pike so you can follow the bite through the day.
• If it's your first trip, book a guide ahead of time rather than hoping to find one when you get there.