Fishing Locations & Lodging Options
Part of the stress in booking a fishing trip - if there is any - can revolve around figuring out where to go, where to stay, and what civilization is there nearby in case you need food or other essential items. If you want to go fish North Dakota on a Missouri River reservoir or Devils Lake, this should give you a feel for the area.
Lake Sakakawea, North Dakota
Lake Sakakawea is a large reservoir of the Missouri River above Garrison Dam. The fishing tends to be better upstream north and west in the early season, and the downstream area near the dam will get better towards summer. There is also a super large bay called the Van Hook Arm up by New Town, ND that fishes a little more like a traditional lake but still has access to the main reservoir. There is an awful lot of shoreline, so picking a place near your fishing location is incredibly helpful here.
Map courtesy of the US Army Corps of Engineers (map weblink)
Bloemendaal Guide Service is located in Garrison, ND and fishes a wide stretch of Lake Sakakawea from the dam up to Four Bears Casino and beyond. Where we fish depends on the bite and seasonal migrations; we want to make sure you get the most out of the trip, even if that means trailering a little to hit the right spot. That said, you can't go wrong staying in Garrison, and for those coming from the south and east, it's an easier and shorter drive. North Shore Inn and Suites and the Garrison Motel have rooms as well as a few cabins near the water. Indian Hills Resort west of town has great lodging, camping, boat access, fish cleaning, bait, and gas at the dock. There is also Fort Stevenson State Park just south of Garrison on the water with fish cleaning, lake access, campsites, and a few cabins.
Links for Lodging Recommendations on Lake Sakakawea:
Garrison:
North Shore Inn / Garrison Motel: http://garrisonmotel.com/
Indian Hills Resort: http://www.fishindianhills.com/
Fort Stevenson State Park: https://www.parkrec.nd.gov/fort-stevenson-state-park
Parshall:
Deepwater Bay Bed & Breakfast: http://www.deepwaterbay.com/
New Town:
4 Bears Casino: https://4bearscasino.com/
Van Hook Territorial Inn: http://www.vanhookterritorialinn.com/
The Lodge at Van Hook: http://www.thelodgeatvanhook.com/
Devils Lake, North Dakota
Devils Lake (the lake) is by Devils Lake (the town) a little more than an hour drive west of Grand Forks on Hwy 2. The town is pretty accommodating for an awesome fishery including a WalMart Supercenter, plenty of hotels, cabins and resorts on the water, and a handful of restaurants (you absolutely must try the German sausage at Mr. & Mrs. J's for breakfast and spend at least one dinner at The Ranch Steakhouse). No matter where you stay, you can drive, by water or by land, almost anywhere you want to go easily under an hour.
The lake is made up of a number of "chunks" of what used to be separate lakes before the water levels rose to current-day levels. The main "chunks" include Pelican Lake in the NW corner, then West Bay, Main Devils Lake, East Bay, and East Devils Lake as you cross the map west to east. And since so much of this lake is flooded land where water has overtaken trees, roads, cornfields, farmer's rock piles, electric towers, bridges, and even railroads, knowing your way around is extremely important - especially as water levels rise and fall - to avoid busting up a boat and cutting the trip short.
Flooded road in Devil's Lake
Map courtesy of USGS (map weblink)