Baldhill Creek Fishing Guides
A prairie coulee stream west of Dazey feeding the Sheyenne above Lake Ashtabula, running hard at snowmelt and thin by late summer.
Guides on the Baldhill Creek
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About the Baldhill Creek
Baldhill Creek drains a stretch of the glacial drift plain in Barnes County and runs east toward the Sheyenne River, joining it above Lake Ashtabula, the reservoir held by Baldhill Dam north of Valley City. This is prairie pothole country, a landscape of shallow wetlands, closed basins and low relief left behind by the retreating ice sheet, and a stream draining it behaves quite unlike a stream in hill country.
Flow here is dominated by snowmelt to a degree that surprises visitors. The great majority of the annual runoff comes through in a few weeks in late March and April, when frozen ground sheds meltwater straight into the coulees and the creek runs bank full and brown. Through the rest of the year the contribution is modest and highly dependent on summer thunderstorms, and in dry years the channel can reduce to a chain of pools. The gauge reflects all of this, reporting discharge, stage, precipitation and turbidity together, which makes it one of the more completely instrumented small stream sites in the state.
Fishing follows the water. In spring, northern pike run up out of the Sheyenne and Lake Ashtabula into the flooded lower reaches to spawn in the vegetated margins, and this is the one period when the creek itself fishes well for a species anyone would travel for. Walleye, yellow perch and channel catfish are present in the lower water near the confluence. Through summer the creek is a modest bullhead and panfish proposition and the serious fishing shifts to Lake Ashtabula and the Sheyenne, both a short drive away and both well served with ramps and access. For anyone building a trip around this part of the state, the creek is best understood as a seasonal component of the Sheyenne system rather than as a destination in its own right, and the gauge is most useful as an early signal of what the river and the reservoir below are about to do.
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Access
Dazey - the nearest community, with the gauge reference point and very limited services.
Sheyenne River - the receiving river east, with bank access and a genuine prairie river fishery.
Lake Ashtabula - the reservoir behind Baldhill Dam, with ramps, camping and walleye fishing.
Valley City - the county seat south, with lodging, dining and the nearest tackle.
Baldhill Dam - the Corps structure at the foot of the lake, with recreation areas nearby.
Jamestown - west on the interstate, with further services and access to the James River.
Fargo - roughly ninety minutes east, with the nearest major airport and full services.
Seasons
Spring: the event of the year, with snowmelt filling the creek and northern pike running up out of the Sheyenne to spawn.
Summer: low and often reduced to pools, with the fishing shifting to Lake Ashtabula and the river below.
Fall: modest flows and cool water, with pike and perch holding near the confluence and little pressure anywhere.
Winter: frozen through, with the local fishing entirely on the ice of Lake Ashtabula rather than on the creek.
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Questions
What is the current flow on the Baldhill Creek?
As of Oct 18, 5:00 pm, the USGS gauge BALDHILL CREEK NEAR DAZEY, ND reads 49 cfs. Conditions update every 15 minutes.
What species can you catch on the Baldhill Creek?
Anglers target Black Crappie, Bluegill, Channel Catfish, Common Carp, Freshwater Drum, Largemouth Bass, Northern Pike, Walleye, White Sucker, Yellow Perch on the Baldhill Creek in North Dakota.
Where can you access the Baldhill Creek?
Dazey - the nearest community, with the gauge reference point and very limited services. Sheyenne River - the receiving river east, with bank access and a genuine prairie river fishery. Lake Ashtabula - the reservoir behind Baldhill Dam, with ramps, camping and walleye fishing. Valley City - the county seat south, with lodging, dining and the nearest tackle. Baldhill Dam - the Corps structure at the foot of the lake, with recreation areas nearby. Jamestown - west on the interstate, with further services and access to the James River. Fargo - roughly ninety minutes east, with the nearest major...
When is the best time to fish the Baldhill Creek?
Spring: the event of the year, with snowmelt filling the creek and northern pike running up out of the Sheyenne to spawn. Summer: low and often reduced to pools, with the fishing shifting to Lake Ashtabula and the river below. Fall: modest flows and cool water, with pike and perch holding near the confluence and little pressure anywhere. Winter: frozen through, with the local fishing entirely on the ice of Lake Ashtabula rather than on the creek.
Where are the fishing regulations for the Baldhill Creek?
Regulations change by season and section. Read the current rules on the North Dakota agency site: https://gf.nd.gov/fishing