North Dakota
Fishing License 2026.

License required?

Yes

Where to apply?

North Dakota Game and Fish Department (NDGF) — gf.nd.gov/buy-apply online portal, ND Game and Fish mobile app, and ~200 agent locations (bait shops, sporting-goods, county auditors).

Cost

Resident annual fishing $18; senior (65+) $5; youth (under 16) $10 or free with parent. Non-resident annual $55; 10-day $40; 3-day $25. Paddlefish tag $10 resident / $25.50 non-resident (lottery-snag season only). Fishing/Hunting Combo resident $50.

Validity

April 1 – March 31 (ND license year).

Available online?

Yes

One of the cheapest resident licenses in the US. Residents 65+ buy $5 Senior Combination covering all hunt/fish privileges. Anglers under 16 fish free with a licensed adult. Free Fishing Weekend first weekend of June. Paddlefish snag season on Yellowstone/Missouri confluence May, drawing only, sustenance harvest days.

Closed seasons

Walleye, sauger, northern pike, smallmouth/largemouth bass, perch — open year-round on most waters. Paddlefish season May 1–21 at Confluence (May 16 close if harvest cap hit). Catch-and-release only days alternated in May on paddlefish (snag-and-release Mondays and Wednesdays).

Catch limits

Walleye 5/day combined with sauger (no size min on most waters; 14" min on Missouri River system + Devils Lake). Northern pike 3/day (no size min, 40" min on Lake Sakakawea trophy zones). Smallmouth bass 5/day (14" min on Missouri system). Yellow perch 20/day (no size min). Chinook salmon 3/day on Lake Sakakawea. Lake trout 2/day.

Prohibited methods

No snagging except designated paddlefish season on Yellowstone/Missouri. Bowfishing legal for rough fish (carp, buffalo, gar). Ice-fishing: 4 lines per angler (up from 2 in 2024 change). Tip-ups count toward line limit.

Catch & Release

Voluntary. Devils Lake perch-release encouraged for 13"+ jumbos (breeding stock).

ND is one of the walleye-richest states per capita. Lake Sakakawea chinook salmon fishery is the only established Pacific-salmon fishery in the Great Plains. Ice-fishing is a full cultural season December–March with permanent ice shacks legal.

Best season

May–June (post-ice walleye run on Sakakawea + Devils Lake), July–August (smallmouth + salmon trolling), January–March (jumbo perch ice-fishing on Devils Lake).

Freshwater

Lake Sakakawea (178 miles long), Lake Oahe, Devils Lake, Lake Audubon, Missouri River tailwater below Garrison Dam, Red River (MN border — channel catfish trophy water), Jamestown Reservoir.

Saltwater

Landlocked — no saltwater fishery.

Equipment

Scheels Bismarck + Minot (full-service), Cabela's East Grand Forks (MN, 1 h from Devils Lake), bait shops around Sakakawea (Riverdale, Garrison, Pick City) stock live leeches and fatheads.

Fishing guides

Walleye charters on Sakakawea/Devils Lake $450–$650/day for 2 anglers; ice-fishing guides on Devils Lake $200–$300/day with heated shack; Missouri tailwater guides $400–$500/day.

Transport

Bismarck BIS (central, 1 h to Sakakawea and Missouri tailwater), Minot MOT (1 h to Sakakawea north shore), Fargo FAR (2.5 h to Devils Lake), Grand Forks GFK (1.5 h to Devils Lake).

Safety

Prairie thunderstorms and sudden 40-mph winds on huge open lakes — check NOAA before launching. Winter ice-fishing temperatures to -30°F — hypothermia risk serious, never fish alone. Ice thickness variable from heated currents near Garrison Dam.

License fees

$18 resident / $55 non-resident annual

Guide prices

$200–$650/day depending on season and target

Daily budget

$40–$70 DIY shore/ice; $225–$325/angler split guided walleye day; $100–$150/angler guided ice-fishing