Lake Ashtabula fishing: Smallmouth Bass, Muskellunge, White Bass
Target species: Smallmouth Bass, Muskellunge, White Bass, Bluegill
The lake
Lake Ashtabula covers 5,471 acres in North Dakota, across 2 counties: Barnes and Griggs. It is a lake. Our records hold 4 species for this water.
4 target fish, led by Smallmouth Bass
- Smallmouth Bass — Feeding water: 60–75°F.
- Muskellunge — Feeding water: 65–75°F.
- White Bass — Feeding water: 65–75°F.
- Bluegill — Feeding water: 70–85°F.
Water and conditions
Water clarity runs 1.8–9.5 feet on our readings, averaging 5.5 feet, from 281 readings. Our water temperature readings average 65°F; they do not cover the whole year, so this is not a yearly average. pH averages 8.6. These readings span 2017–2025.
What is hard here
Wind is the limit, not the fish: 5,471 acres of open water build a short steep chop, and there is no shelter in the middle. Clarity swings from 1.8 to 9.5 feet between our readings — the water you meet is not the water someone photographed.
