Upper Missouri River (North Dakota)

Fishing spots, fishing reports, and regulations in

North Dakota, United States

4.3·211 catches

211

Logged catches

4.3

Top fish species at Upper Missouri River (North Dakota)

Walleye

Channel catfish

Paddlefish

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Upper Missouri River (North Dakota) fishing reports

Sauger

length · weight

White sturgeon

length · weight

Sauger

length · weight

Walleye

length · weight

Goldeye

length · weight

Channel catfish

length · weight

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Fishing regulations at Upper Missouri River (North Dakota), ND

Disclaimer: Always check local fishing regulations, water access rights and land ownership before fishing, regardless of any catches logged in that area by the Fishbrain community. Fishbrain has mapped millions of acres of government-owned land across the USA to help you identify potential fishing access, but you are responsible for ensuring compliance with all legal requirements.

Fishing regulations in North Dakota can change throughout the year. Make sure to check this page before fishing for the most up to date rules and regulations for the current season. Local regulations govern when you can fish, the max size of the fish you can keep, how many fish you can keep, and more.

Local laws and licenses

North Dakota fishing license

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Regulations for top species

Season open: year-round

Walleye

Regulation boundaryNorth Dakota State Waters

Bag limit5

The maximum number of individual fish legally harvested per harvester per day. Bag limits are only for properly licensed anglers actively harvesting the species. People who are not actively harvesting or are not properly licensed (if a license is required) may NOT be counted for the purpose of bag limits.

Aggregate limit5

The maximum number of individual fish across an aggregate group of species legally harvested per harvester per day.

Additional information

Possession limit = 10 Walleye, Sauger, or Saugeye in any combination. In Red and Bois de Sioux rivers up to the first vehicular bridge or crossing on any of their tributaries combined bag limit and possession limit is reduced to 3 Walleye, Sauger, or Saugeye in any combination. Minimum size of 14-inches applies to Walleye and Sauger caught from Lake Elsie (Richland Co.), Buffalo Lake (Sargent Co) and including connected waters north to Sargent Co. Rd. 1, and Jameston and Pipestem reservoirs (Stutsman Co.) and upstream to and including the first bridge crossing.

Edibility

Excellent

Synonyms

Sander vitreus

Season open: year-round

Channel catfish

Regulation boundaryNorth Dakota State Waters

Additional information

West of ND Highway 1: no bag limit, no possession limit, no size limit. East of ND Highway 1: Bag limit and possession limit = 5 channel catfish, and it is illegal to take or possess more than 1 channel catfish greater than 24-inches in total length.

Edibility

Very good Catch, Clean, Cook Channel Catfish by BlueGabe

Synonyms

Ictalurus punctatus

Season open: May 1 - May 21

Paddlefish

Regulation boundaryNorth Dakota State Waters

Required licenses

All paddlefish snaggers must possess a valid paddlefish tag in addition to required licensing.

Additional information

Seasonal creel limit is one paddlefish. It is illegal to take paddlefish with underwater spearfishing gear. Paddlefish may only be gaffed on snag and harvest days. Snagging of paddlefish is legal May 1 through May 21 for those with a valid paddlefish tag. Paddlefish snagging is legal only from 7 am to 7 pm (central time) during each day of the paddlefish snagging season. Select days are set aside for harvest and release only. Harvest-Only Days are Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays. All paddlefish snagged and tagged must be removed from the river by 7 pm of each snagging day. The release of paddlefish (on harvest-only days) after snagging is illegal. Snag-and-Release-Only Days are Sundays, Mondays, and Thursdays. Snaggers that possess their own unused and current paddlefish tag may snag but must release immediately any and all paddlefish snagged on each Sunday, Monday, and Thursday throughout the open season. No harvest of any paddlefish is allowed during these days. The use or possession of a gaff on a snag-and-release day is illegal. The open area includes the Yellowstone River in North Dakota, and the Missouri River west of the U.S. Highway 85 bridge to the Montana border, excluding that portion from the pipeline crossing (river mile 1,577) downstream to the upper end of the Lewis and Clark WMA (river mile 1,565). The use of more than one snag hook per line is illegal. Snagging from a boat is illegal. Each paddlefish snagger must cast for, hook, and reel in (retrieve) his/her own fish.

Edibility

Very good

Synonyms

Polyodon spathula, Spoonbill

Local laws and licenses

North Dakota fishing license

Get license

Cities nearby

4.9 miles away

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14.7 miles away

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67.7 miles away

74.4 miles away

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77.5 miles away

79.8 miles away

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FAQ about Upper Missouri River (North Dakota) fishing

📍 Where is the Upper Missouri River (North Dakota) located?

the Upper Missouri River (North Dakota) is a stream located in McKenzie County, North Dakota, United States. It is also intersecting with Richland County, Montana and Williams County, North Dakota. Its coordinates are:

48°02′23.7″N 103°44′50.1″W

🎣 Where on the Upper Missouri River (North Dakota) is it best to fish?

Find the best fishing spots on the Upper Missouri River (North Dakota) by looking at where other anglers have caught fish. This can easily be done in the where it is also possible to see big fish potential and how good fishing is right now along with Garmin® depth maps.

🐟 What species are in the Upper Missouri River (North Dakota)?

The most common species in the Upper Missouri River (North Dakota) are:

Walleye - 30 members reported to have caught this fish
Channel catfish - 23 members reported to have caught this fish
Paddlefish - 25 members reported to have caught this fish

📢 What are the latest Upper Missouri River (North Dakota) fishing reports?

The latest Upper Missouri River (North Dakota) fishing reports are:

@Ripinlipz reported a nice Sauger.
@Ripinlipz reported a nice White sturgeon.
@Ripinlipz reported a nice Sauger.
@måcyLJ reported a nice Walleye.
@James_Hoffman reported a nice Goldeye.

🗓️ What species are in season at the Upper Missouri River (North Dakota) right now?

According to fishing regulations at the Upper Missouri River (North Dakota), some of the species in season this October include: Paddlefish. For full details on other species — including bag limits, minimum and maximum size limits, and seasonal closures — download the .

🪪 Do I need a fishing license to fish at the Upper Missouri River (North Dakota)?

Fishing in North Dakota requires a valid state fishing license for anglers. Licenses include resident and non-resident, annual and short-term, available online or at licensed retailers.

In North Dakota, no fishing license is required for anglers under 16. Residents 65 and older qualify for a discounted license. A few other exceptions worth knowing:

Free fishing days — most states designate 1–2 weekends a year where anyone can fish without a license
Tribal waters — tribal members fishing on tribal land operate under separate tribal regulations
Private ponds — landowners fishing their own water typically don't need a license

Non-residents usually pay more for a license than residents. Some species also require an extra stamp or endorsement on top of your base license.

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Upper Missouri River (North Dakota)

Top fish species at Upper Missouri River (North Dakota)

Upper Missouri River (North Dakota) fishing reports

General info

Location

Amenities

Fishing regulations at Upper Missouri River (North Dakota), ND

Regulations for top species

Walleye

Channel catfish

Paddlefish

Reviews of Upper Missouri River (North Dakota)

Other fishing waters nearby

Cities nearby

Anything missing or inaccurate?

FAQ about Upper Missouri River (North Dakota) fishing