Fish consumption advisories

North Dakota

North Dakota publishes advisories for 4 waters, covering 156 species-and-size recommendations.

Contaminants of concern: Mercury

Statewide advisory

These apply across North Dakota, including waters with no specific advisory of their own.

Black Crappie Under 9" General population Limit to two meals per week due to elevated Mercury. Statewide mercury advisory
Black Crappie 9–11" General population Limit to one meal per week due to elevated Mercury. Statewide mercury advisory
Black Crappie Over 11" General population Limit to one meal per month due to elevated Mercury. Statewide mercury advisory
Black Crappie Under 8" Pregnant or breastfeeding women For pregnant or breastfeeding women: limit to two meals per week due to elevated Mercury. Statewide mercury advisory
Black Crappie 8–12" Pregnant or breastfeeding women For pregnant or breastfeeding women: limit to two meals per month due to elevated Mercury. Statewide mercury advisory
Black Crappie Over 12" Pregnant or breastfeeding women For pregnant or breastfeeding women: limit to one meal per month due to elevated Mercury. Statewide mercury advisory
Black Crappie Under 7" Children under 15 For children under 15: limit to two meals per week due to elevated Mercury. Statewide mercury advisory
Black Crappie 7–9" Children under 15 For children under 15: limit to two meals per month due to elevated Mercury. Statewide mercury advisory
Black Crappie Over 9" Children under 15 For children under 15: limit to one meal per month due to elevated Mercury. Statewide mercury advisory
Bluegill Under 9" General population Limit to two meals per week due to elevated Mercury. Statewide mercury advisory
Bluegill 9–11" General population Limit to one meal per week due to elevated Mercury. Statewide mercury advisory
Bluegill Over 11" General population Limit to one meal per month due to elevated Mercury. Statewide mercury advisory
Bluegill Under 8" Pregnant or breastfeeding women For pregnant or breastfeeding women: limit to two meals per week due to elevated Mercury. Statewide mercury advisory
Bluegill 8–12" Pregnant or breastfeeding women For pregnant or breastfeeding women: limit to two meals per month due to elevated Mercury. Statewide mercury advisory
Bluegill Over 12" Pregnant or breastfeeding women For pregnant or breastfeeding women: limit to one meal per month due to elevated Mercury. Statewide mercury advisory
Bluegill Under 7" Children under 15 For children under 15: limit to two meals per week due to elevated Mercury. Statewide mercury advisory
Bluegill 7–9" Children under 15 For children under 15: limit to two meals per month due to elevated Mercury. Statewide mercury advisory
Bluegill Over 9" Children under 15 For children under 15: limit to one meal per month due to elevated Mercury. Statewide mercury advisory
Channel Catfish Under 22" General population Limit to two meals per week due to elevated Mercury. Statewide mercury advisory
Channel Catfish 22–24" General population Limit to one meal per week due to elevated Mercury. Statewide mercury advisory
Channel Catfish Over 24" General population Limit to one meal per month due to elevated Mercury. Statewide mercury advisory
Channel Catfish Under 19" Pregnant or breastfeeding women For pregnant or breastfeeding women: limit to two meals per week due to elevated Mercury. Statewide mercury advisory
Channel Catfish 19–22" Pregnant or breastfeeding women For pregnant or breastfeeding women: limit to one meal per week due to elevated Mercury. Statewide mercury advisory
Channel Catfish Over 22" Pregnant or breastfeeding women For pregnant or breastfeeding women: limit to one meal per month due to elevated Mercury. Statewide mercury advisory
Channel Catfish Under 19" Children under 15 For children under 15: limit to one meal per week due to elevated Mercury. Statewide mercury advisory
Channel Catfish 19–22" Children under 15 For children under 15: limit to two meals per month due to elevated Mercury. Statewide mercury advisory
Channel Catfish 22–27" Children under 15 For children under 15: limit to one meal per month due to elevated Mercury. Statewide mercury advisory
Northern Pike Under 24" General population Limit to two meals per week due to elevated Mercury. Statewide mercury advisory
Northern Pike 24–26" General population Limit to one meal per week due to elevated Mercury. Statewide mercury advisory
Northern Pike Over 26" General population Limit to one meal per month due to elevated Mercury. Statewide mercury advisory
Northern Pike Under 25" Pregnant or breastfeeding women For pregnant or breastfeeding women: limit to one meal per week due to elevated Mercury. Statewide mercury advisory
Northern Pike 25–28" Pregnant or breastfeeding women For pregnant or breastfeeding women: limit to two meals per month due to elevated Mercury. Statewide mercury advisory
Northern Pike 28–34" Pregnant or breastfeeding women For pregnant or breastfeeding women: limit to one meal per month due to elevated Mercury. Statewide mercury advisory
Northern Pike Under 23" Children under 15 For children under 15: limit to one meal per week due to elevated Mercury. Statewide mercury advisory
Northern Pike 23–25" Children under 15 For children under 15: limit to two meals per month due to elevated Mercury. Statewide mercury advisory
Northern Pike 25–28" Children under 15 For children under 15: limit to one meal per month due to elevated Mercury. Statewide mercury advisory
Walleye Under 15" General population Limit to two meals per week due to elevated Mercury. Statewide mercury advisory
Walleye 15–17" General population Limit to one meal per week due to elevated Mercury. Statewide mercury advisory
Walleye 17–23" General population Limit to two meals per month due to elevated Mercury. Statewide mercury advisory
Walleye Over 23" General population Limit to one meal per month due to elevated Mercury. Statewide mercury advisory
Walleye 19–23" Pregnant or breastfeeding women For pregnant or breastfeeding women: limit to one meal per month due to elevated Mercury. Statewide mercury advisory
Walleye Under 14" Children under 15 For children under 15: limit to one meal per week due to elevated Mercury. Statewide mercury advisory
Walleye 14–16" Children under 15 For children under 15: limit to two meals per month due to elevated Mercury. Statewide mercury advisory
Walleye 16–19" Children under 15 For children under 15: limit to one meal per month due to elevated Mercury. Statewide mercury advisory
White Bass Under 11" General population Limit to two meals per week due to elevated Mercury. Statewide mercury advisory
White Bass 11–13" General population Limit to one meal per week due to elevated Mercury. Statewide mercury advisory
White Bass 13–16" General population Limit to two meals per month due to elevated Mercury. Statewide mercury advisory
White Bass 16–21" General population Limit to one meal per month due to elevated Mercury. Statewide mercury advisory
White Bass Under 11" Pregnant or breastfeeding women For pregnant or breastfeeding women: limit to two meals per week due to elevated Mercury. Statewide mercury advisory
White Bass 11–12" Pregnant or breastfeeding women For pregnant or breastfeeding women: limit to one meal per week due to elevated Mercury. Statewide mercury advisory
White Bass 12–13" Pregnant or breastfeeding women For pregnant or breastfeeding women: limit to two meals per month due to elevated Mercury. Statewide mercury advisory
White Bass 13–17" Pregnant or breastfeeding women For pregnant or breastfeeding women: limit to one meal per month due to elevated Mercury. Statewide mercury advisory
White Bass Under 10" Children under 15 For children under 15: limit to two meals per week due to elevated Mercury. Statewide mercury advisory
White Bass 10–11" Children under 15 For children under 15: limit to one meal per week due to elevated Mercury. Statewide mercury advisory
White Bass 11–12" Children under 15 For children under 15: limit to two meals per month due to elevated Mercury. Statewide mercury advisory
White Bass 12–13" Children under 15 For children under 15: limit to one meal per month due to elevated Mercury. Statewide mercury advisory
White Crappie Under 9" General population Limit to two meals per week due to elevated Mercury. Statewide mercury advisory
White Crappie 9–11" General population Limit to one meal per week due to elevated Mercury. Statewide mercury advisory
White Crappie Over 11" General population Limit to one meal per month due to elevated Mercury. Statewide mercury advisory
White Crappie Under 8" Pregnant or breastfeeding women For pregnant or breastfeeding women: limit to two meals per week due to elevated Mercury. Statewide mercury advisory
White Crappie 8–12" Pregnant or breastfeeding women For pregnant or breastfeeding women: limit to two meals per month due to elevated Mercury. Statewide mercury advisory
White Crappie Over 12" Pregnant or breastfeeding women For pregnant or breastfeeding women: limit to one meal per month due to elevated Mercury. Statewide mercury advisory
White Crappie Under 7" Children under 15 For children under 15: limit to two meals per week due to elevated Mercury. Statewide mercury advisory
White Crappie 7–9" Children under 15 For children under 15: limit to two meals per month due to elevated Mercury. Statewide mercury advisory
White Crappie Over 9" Children under 15 For children under 15: limit to one meal per month due to elevated Mercury. Statewide mercury advisory
Yellow Perch Under 9" General population Limit to two meals per week due to elevated Mercury. Statewide mercury advisory
Yellow Perch 9–10" General population Limit to one meal per week due to elevated Mercury. Statewide mercury advisory
Yellow Perch 10–12" General population Limit to two meals per month due to elevated Mercury. Statewide mercury advisory
Yellow Perch 12–14" General population Limit to one meal per month due to elevated Mercury. Statewide mercury advisory
Yellow Perch Under 9" Pregnant or breastfeeding women For pregnant or breastfeeding women: limit to one meal per week due to elevated Mercury. Statewide mercury advisory
Yellow Perch 9–11" Pregnant or breastfeeding women For pregnant or breastfeeding women: limit to two meals per month due to elevated Mercury. Statewide mercury advisory
Yellow Perch 11–13" Pregnant or breastfeeding women For pregnant or breastfeeding women: limit to one meal per month due to elevated Mercury. Statewide mercury advisory
Yellow Perch Under 9" Children under 15 For children under 15: limit to one meal per week due to elevated Mercury. Statewide mercury advisory
Yellow Perch 9–10" Children under 15 For children under 15: limit to two meals per month due to elevated Mercury. Statewide mercury advisory
Yellow Perch 10–11" Children under 15 For children under 15: limit to one meal per month due to elevated Mercury. Statewide mercury advisory

Waters with advisories in North Dakota

4 waters on file. A water not listed here has no advisory in the state's data — which usually means it has never been sampled, not that it's been cleared.

Lakes 2

Rivers 2

North Dakota statewide fishing limits

Statewide defaults — specific waters and zones may differ. Verify the current rules before keeping a fish.

Species	Size	Daily limit	Open season	Keep season
Walleye	—	5	Year-round	Same as open
Sauger	—	5	Year-round	Same as open
Northern Pike	—	5	Year-round	Same as open
Yellow Perch	—	20	Year-round	Same as open
Largemouth Bass	—	5	Year-round	Same as open
Smallmouth Bass	—	5	Year-round	Same as open
White Bass	—	30	Year-round	Same as open
Black Crappie	—	10	Year-round	Same as open
White Crappie	—	10	Year-round	Same as open
Bluegill	—	10	Year-round	Same as open
Chinook Salmon	—	5	Year-round	Same as open
Rainbow Trout	—	3	Year-round	Same as open
Brown Trout	—	3	Year-round	Same as open
Lake Trout	—	3	Year-round	Same as open
Channel Catfish	—	5	Year-round	Same as open
Muskellunge	48" min	1	Year-round	Same as open
Lake Whitefish	—	—	Year-round	Same as open

Official rules: North Dakota — North Dakota Game & Fish

Where this comes from

Advisories: North Dakota DEQ — Guide to Safe Eating of Fish Caught in North Dakota
Regulations: North Dakota — North Dakota Game & Fish
All sources: Every state's official source