New Johns Lake is a reservoir in Burleigh County, North Dakota.
New Johns Lake is a reservoir in Burleigh County, North Dakota, and covers about 687.6 acres, reaches about 29.5 feet at its deepest point and holds roughly 13,059.1 acre-feet.
There is enough room for fish to move at New Johns Lake, so compare a protected side with a windblown bank before settling on one depth.
New Johns Lake is a compact central North Dakota lake with rock, points, and enough open water for walleye, smallmouth bass, pike, and muskellunge to share different parts of the lake.
Use smaller tubes and crankbaits on rock for smallmouth bass. Work jigs or live-bait rigs down points for walleye. Larger jerkbaits and bucktails fit muskellunge or tiger muskie, especially along the outside edge of weeds or a sharp break.
Fish listed for New Johns Lake include Bluegill, Common Carp, Muskellunge, Northern Pike, Smallmouth Bass, Tiger Muskie, Walleye, and Yellow Perch.
Begin the walleye search by trying to work a jig and minnow, a live-bait rig, or a light crankbait along points and the first drop.
The opening yellow perch pass should keep a light jig tipped with a minnow or worm close to the bottom on a flat beside deeper water.
When looking for northern pike, search weed edges and shallow points with a spoon, spinnerbait, or minnow-shaped lure.
Begin the bluegill search by trying to try a small jig, worm, or tiny plastic around green weeds and protected pockets.
To narrow the search, other targets listed here include Smallmouth Bass, Muskellunge, Tiger Muskie, and Common Carp; give each one its own bait and depth instead of trying to catch everything with the same rig.
When the bite is unclear, try wind as a clue; a light push can carry food toward a bank, but hard wind may muddy it, so look for a clean edge beside a point or protected pocket.
For a first pass, early in the year, protected water and the first warm afternoon can be the strongest clues; as the water heats up, check deeper edges without assuming every fish is on the bottom; cooling fall water often makes points and firm banks useful again.
On an opening pass, a medium spinning setup with 8- to 10-pound line handles most jigs and small casting baits; add a stronger outfit and a proper leader when northern pike, muskellunge, or tiger muskie are the target.
After a bite, write down productive depth, cover, water color, and wind; those details help more on the next trip than a long list of empty spots.
For a simple plan, keep the first hour simple: use one moving bait to find active fish, slow down with a jig or natural bait on the best edge, and repeat the same setup when two bites come from matching depth and bottom during that part of the trip.
Smallmouth bass and perch call for smaller baits, while muskellunge and tiger muskie need stronger line, leaders, and larger lures.
Fish a point from the shallow crown down the first drop with a jig or live-bait rig.
Cast the outside weed edge, the tip of a point, and the first deep turn with a bucktail or jerkbait.
Explore nearby waters, including local Featured destinations. Check each page for access and fishing restrictions.
Distances are straight-line estimates between mapped water locations.
Source dates describe the evidence, not a live catch forecast. Check the managing authority before planning access or keeping fish.
The linked source supports this fish’s presence or stocking in this water.
Source checked:
This is not a record catch or a measure of how many fish are there today. The source may describe an earlier period.
The linked source supports this fish’s presence or stocking in this water.
Source checked:
This is not a record catch or a measure of how many fish are there today. The source may describe an earlier period.
The linked source supports this fish’s presence or stocking in this water.
Source checked:
This is not a record catch or a measure of how many fish are there today. The source may describe an earlier period.
The linked source supports this fish’s presence or stocking in this water.
Source checked:
This is not a record catch or a measure of how many fish are there today. The source may describe an earlier period.
The linked source supports this fish’s presence or stocking in this water.
Source checked:
This is not a record catch or a measure of how many fish are there today. The source may describe an earlier period.
The linked source supports this fish’s presence or stocking in this water.
Source checked:
This is not a record catch or a measure of how many fish are there today. The source may describe an earlier period.
The linked source supports this fish’s presence or stocking in this water.
Source checked:
This is not a record catch or a measure of how many fish are there today. The source may describe an earlier period.
The linked source supports this fish’s presence or stocking in this water.
Source checked:
This is not a record catch or a measure of how many fish are there today. The source may describe an earlier period.