North Dakota Winter Fishing Rules Review

One of the long-standing goals of the North Dakota Game and Fish Department is to keep hunting and fishing regulations as simple and straightforward as possible, all while ensuring the protection of the resource for future generations.

That balance isn’t always easy. But before taking a shot at the rulebook, take a moment to compare it with what you’ll find in other states. Whether you’ve traveled to hunt or fish elsewhere, or just talked with someone who has, it becomes clear quickly that North Dakota does a good job of keeping things from becoming overly complicated.

Sure, you’ll still see signs posted at boat ramps or public land access points reminding users of specific rules or restrictions. And yes, wildlife management areas and some fishing waters come with their own guidelines. But behind the scenes, every proposed change is closely reviewed, with a key question in mind: Will this make things unnecessarily frustrating for hunters or anglers?

Ice Fishing Regulations

Equipment and Line Limits

• A maximum of four poles is legal for ice fishing.
• Open Water Exception: When fishing a water body where both open water and ice occur at the same time, an angler is allowed a maximum of four poles, of which no more than two poles can be used in open water.
• Visibility: Fishing poles must be easily visible and within a maximum distance of 150 feet of the participating angler.
• Tip-ups: Tip-ups are legal for ice fishing. Each tip-up is considered a single pole.

Hole Size and Safety

There is no restriction on the size of the hole in the ice while ice fishing. However, when a hole greater than 10 inches in diameter is left in the ice, the area in the immediate vicinity of the hole must be adequately marked with a natural object or a brightly painted or colored wooden lath. Markers must be visible from a minimum of 150 feet.

Harvest and Possession Limits

• Daily Creel Limit: Defined as the maximum number of legally taken fish (by species) that may be harvested from midnight to midnight.
• Possession: No individual may harvest or possess more than North Dakota’s daily limit of fish while on the water, ice, or actively engaged in any manner of fishing.
• Proximity: Fishing holes outside a fish house may be placed no closer than 10 feet from the house without consent of the fish house occupant.

Transport and Cleaning

No fish species may be transported in water away from the water body from which they were taken. Ice in a cooler or other container may be used in transporting fish.

It is illegal to remove more than gills, entrails, and scales from fish species harvested in waters that are subject to a size limit while on the water or actively engaged in fishing. Fish may be filleted for transport (unless size limits apply) under the following conditions:

• Each individual portion of the meat removed from a fish is considered a fillet. (Fish cheeks and wings are not considered fillets and are legal to transport.)
• Two fillets are counted as one fish.
• The packaging of fish must be done so that the fillets can be readily separated and counted. If frozen, they must be packaged so they can be easily counted without thawing.

Gifting Fish

Any fish (whole and/or fillets) may be gifted to another individual, but the fish must be counted in the donor’s daily limit. Individuals who receive gifted fish may not exceed the possession limit while the fish are being transported.

Gifted fish must be accompanied by the following information from the donor:

• Name and Phone Number
• Fishing License Number
• Date
• Species and number of fish gifted

Except for legally gifted fish, it is illegal to possess or transport another individual’s game fish without the license holder accompanying.