Being a serious walleye guy from the Great Lakes, I’ve often heard tales of the fantastic fishing to be had in the sprawling walleye Meccas of North Dakota, specifically Lake Sakakawea, Lake Oahe and Devils Lake. I recently had the opportunity to sample the ’eye fishing at Devils with guide Jason Mitchell, and at 135,000 acres – North Dakota’s largest natural lake – Devils Lake did not disappoint.

“The lake is predominately shallow and, as a result, very fertile,” said Mitchell. “The deepest part of the lake is just over 50 feet deep. In that kind of environment, there’s plenty of forage, mainly freshwater shrimp, and walleyes grow fast.”

Surprisingly, Devils Lake has tripled in size in recent years, rising some 25 feet because of a wet cycle that settled over the northern prairie pothole region beginning in 1993. Record snowfall and rain produced record flooding, but what was hurtful for humans turned out to be wonderful for walleyes. Thousands of inundated trees along the shoreline created quality habitat, which in turn produced record year classes of walleyes and other game fish, including yellow perch, northern pike and white bass.

One of the most productive ways to fish the standing trees for walleyes is by slip-bobbering, a technique we tried for the first hour or two of our trip. From an anchored boat, we skewered a live leech (hooked just once through the head to keep it alive) on a single hook and cast to about 12 feet of water. Wind is nearly constant on North Dakota’s prairie lakes, and for an hour or so, we watched our slip-bobbers dance in the one-foot waves. But leeches didn’t seem to be on the walleye menu that morning, so after catching only a fish or two, Mitchell decided it was time to make a move.


Motoring across the lake to a shoreline where 2-foot waves pounded into shallow water, we switched our offerings to crankbaits (No. 5 Rapala Shad Raps and Salmo Hornets) and began casting toward shore. The cranks landed in about 5 feet of water, and using a slow, stop-and-go retrieve, Mitchell soon hooked the first walleye. He fought the 2-pound fish to the net, and the other three of us aboard took note and began copying the technique. Several hours of nearly constant walleye action ensued, resulting in everyone catching his five-fish limit. Big fish of the day weighed more than 3 pounds.

If ice-fishing is more your style, Devils is known not only for walleyes, but also for its giant yellow perch caught through the ice. And I do mean giant, as 1-pound-plus fish are common.

Woodland Resort (www.woodlandresort.com) is the only full-service resort at the water’s edge of Devils Lake. If you want to save a few bucks and don’t mind roughing it, try camping at Grahams Island State Park (www.ndparks.com). Jason Mitchell of Mitchell’s Guide Service (www.fishdevilslake.net) can be contacted by phone at (701) 662-6560.