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Lake Sakakawea is a reservoir located in North Dakota. The water surface spans about 382,000 acres, making it a very large body of water. It reaches a maximum depth of roughly 180 feet at an elevation of about 1,817 feet. Fish documented in the area include Channel Catfish, Bluegill, Smallmouth Bass, and Walleye. A nearby water gauge supplies level and temperature readings where available. If you are planning a trip, Lake Audubon are also nearby. Coverage here includes an hourly and 7-day forecast, wind and gust outlook, water readings, fishing conditions, and activity scores for boating, paddling, and swimming. Forecasts for Lake Sakakawea come from the National Weather Service and refresh several times a day.
Updated
No active alerts for this lake as of the last check (Oct 9, 5:39 AM CDT). Alerts are re-checked automatically; see the official source for updates.
Overall Good (89/100) across 4 activities. Best right now: Fishing (90/100).
How the score is calculated →Best excellent fishing window, averaging 93/100 across these hours. Wind 5 mph from the south. Dawn hours (06:00 local). Derived from the hourly forecast; official alerts are not forecast and are checked separately.
| Metric | 10a | 11a | 12p | 1p | 2p | 3p | 4p | 5p | 6p | 7p | 8p | 9p | 10p | 11p | 12a | 1a | 2a | 3a | 4a | 5a | 6a | 7a | 8a | 9a |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Temp (°F) | 47° | 47° | 47° | 48° | 50° | 54° | 60° | 65° | 70° | 74° | 77° | 79° | 79° | 77° | 75° | 71° | 66° | 65° | 63° | 62° | 60° | 58° | 56° | 54° |
| Wind (kts) | 6 | 6 | 6 | 8 | 11 | 11 | 12 | 14 | 15 | 15 | 16 | 16 | 15 | 13 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 11 | 10 | 8 | 7 | 5 | 5 | 5 |
| Direction | SE | SE | S | S | S | S | S | S | S | S | S | S | S | S | S | S | S | S | S | S | S | S | SE | SE |
| Gusts (kts) | 13 | 13 | 13 | 15 | 17 | 18 | 20 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 26 | 25 | 24 | 22 | 21 | 21 | 18 | 16 | 13 | 11 | 8 | 7 | 7 |
| Precip % | 1% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| Time | Temp | Wind | Gusts | Precip | Cloud | Condition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fri, 5 AM CDT | 47°F | 7 mph SE (135°) | 15 mph | 1% | 40% | Partly Cloudy |
| Fri, 6 AM CDT | 47°F | 7 mph SE (135°) | 15 mph | 0% | 29% | Mostly Sunny |
| Fri, 7 AM CDT | 47°F | 7 mph S (180°) | 15 mph | 0% | 15% | Sunny |
| Fri, 8 AM CDT | 48°F | 9 mph S (180°) | 17 mph | 0% | 18% | Sunny |
| Fri, 9 AM CDT | 50°F | 13 mph S (180°) | 20 mph | 0% | 21% | Sunny |
| Fri, 10 AM CDT | 54°F | 13 mph S (180°) | 21 mph | 0% | 17% | Sunny |
| Fri, 11 AM CDT | 60°F | 14 mph S (180°) | 23 mph | 0% | 10% | Sunny |
| Fri, 12 PM CDT | 65°F | 16 mph S (180°) | 27 mph | 0% | 10% | Sunny |
| Fri, 1 PM CDT | 70°F | 17 mph S (180°) | 28 mph | 0% | 26% | Mostly Sunny |
| Fri, 2 PM CDT | 74°F | 17 mph S (180°) | 29 mph | 0% | 29% | Mostly Sunny |
| Fri, 3 PM CDT | 77°F | 18 mph S (180°) | 30 mph | 0% | 45% | Mostly Sunny |
| Fri, 4 PM CDT | 79°F | 18 mph S (180°) | 30 mph | 0% | 44% | Mostly Sunny |
| Fri, 5 PM CDT | 79°F | 17 mph S (180°) | 29 mph | 0% | 48% | Mostly Sunny |
| Fri, 6 PM CDT | 77°F | 15 mph S (180°) | 28 mph | 0% | 37% | Partly Cloudy |
| Fri, 7 PM CDT | 75°F | 14 mph S (180°) | 25 mph | 0% | 34% | Partly Cloudy |
| Fri, 8 PM CDT | 71°F | 14 mph S (180°) | 24 mph | 0% | 38% | Partly Cloudy |
| Fri, 9 PM CDT | 66°F | 14 mph S (180°) | 24 mph | 0% | 49% | Partly Cloudy |
| Fri, 10 PM CDT | 65°F | 13 mph S (180°) | 21 mph | 0% | 46% | Partly Cloudy |
| Fri, 11 PM CDT | 63°F | 12 mph S (180°) | 18 mph | 0% | 42% | Partly Cloudy |
| Sat, 12 AM CDT | 62°F | 9 mph S (180°) | 15 mph | 0% | 40% | Partly Cloudy |
| Sat, 1 AM CDT | 60°F | 8 mph S (180°) | 13 mph | 0% | 30% | Partly Cloudy |
| Sat, 2 AM CDT | 58°F | 6 mph S (180°) | 9 mph | 0% | 24% | Mostly Clear |
| Sat, 3 AM CDT | 56°F | 6 mph SE (135°) | 8 mph | 0% | 22% | Mostly Clear |
| Sat, 4 AM CDT | 54°F | 6 mph SE (135°) | 8 mph | 0% | 21% | Mostly Clear |
| Sat, 5 AM CDT | 53°F | 5 mph S (180°) | 8 mph | 0% | 31% | Partly Cloudy |
Official National Weather Service hourly forecast. Showing 10 of 25 hours. Wind arrows point the way the wind is blowing; the compass point and degrees show where it comes from.
| Period | Overnight October 9, 2026 | Friday October 9, 2026 | Friday Night October 9, 2026 | Saturday October 10, 2026 | Saturday Night October 10, 2026 | Sunday October 11, 2026 | Sunday Night October 11, 2026 | Columbus Day October 12, 2026 | Monday Night October 12, 2026 | Tuesday October 13, 2026 | Tuesday Night October 13, 2026 | Wednesday October 14, 2026 | Wednesday Night October 14, 2026 | Thursday October 15, 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Temp (°F) | 44° | 80° | 51° | 76° | 44° | 51° | 36° | 48° | 33° | 56° | 36° | 58° | 38° | 56° |
| Wind | SE 7 mph | S 7 to 18 mph | S 5 to 15 mph | NW 3 to 13 mph | N 9 to 21 mph | N 16 to 22 mph | NE 15 mph | NE 8 to 15 mph | N 5 to 8 mph | SE 5 to 8 mph | SE 5 to 8 mph | SE 8 to 12 mph | NE 9 to 18 mph | NW 20 to 24 mph |
| Gusts | 15 mph | 30 mph | 28 mph | 22 mph | 28 mph | 29 mph | 25 mph | 21 mph | 15 mph | 17 mph | 13 mph | 23 mph | 24 mph | 39 mph |
| Precip % | 1% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 17% | 64% | 64% | 73% | 47% | 12% | 27% | 55% | 58% | 55% |
| Forecast |
No active USGS or USACE telemetry gauge is currently mapped to Lake Sakakawea. Not available from a verified source for this lake.
Excellent for fishing (90/100), from 5 available inputs. Supporting this: Wind 7 mph from the southeast. 1% chance of precipitation. Not available from a verified source for this lake: pressure trend, water temperature. Confidence is moderate (74%) because some inputs are unavailable or older than ideal.
Excellent for boating (90/100), from 4 available inputs. Supporting this: Wind 7 mph from the southeast. No active official alerts for this lake. Not available from a verified source for this lake: visibility and conditions, verified water access. Confidence is moderate (84%) because some inputs are unavailable or older than ideal.
Good for sailing (86/100), from 4 available inputs. Supporting this: Wind 7 mph from the SE is workable but not ideal. No active official alerts for this lake. Not available from a verified source for this lake: visibility. Confidence is high (88%).
Good for kayaking (88/100), from 5 available inputs. Supporting this: Wind 7 mph from the southeast. No active official alerts for this lake. Confidence is high (90%).
Water temperature is not available from a verified source for this lake. No swimming score is shown without it.
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Individual boat ramp GPS coordinates are maintained under the jurisdiction of ND Parks & Wildlife Authority. Public boaters should verify seasonal launch water levels, gate hours, and daily vehicle/vessel fees before traveling.
Surrounded by the natural landscapes of ND, Lake Sakakawea is an appealing freshwater reservoir welcoming outdoor recreation across all seasons. The lake provides critical habitat for native fish species and serves as a focal point for regional boating. Visitors should review current access fees, ramp operational status, and state licensing rules.
Valid freshwater sport fishing license issued by North Dakota Game and Fish Department is required for anglers age 16+. Digital license on mobile is accepted.
Current motorized watercraft registration mandatory. Practice Clean, Drain & Dry protocols: drain all livewells and inspect props before launching. Life jackets required for all passengers.
Public shoreline and boating access managed by State & Local Authorities. Verify seasonal gate hours, launch fees, and parking rules before travel.
High-speed motorboating, pontoon cruising, wakeboarding, and water skiing across main channels. Target gamefish include Channel Catfish, Bluegill, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye. Morning hours typically provide optimal glassy conditions for kayak and stand-up paddleboard (SUP) touring.
Warm water temperatures, peak swimming, active watersports, and open full-service campgrounds. Highest weekly attendance; plan early arrivals on summer weekends.
Spring pre-spawn and fall feeding transitions create prime trophy angling conditions. Cooler air, lower boat traffic, and vibrant seasonal shoreline foliage.
Northern cold winter conditions with freezing air temperatures and potential surface ice formation. Ramps and water systems may be winterized. Confirm open status before visiting.
No external source rows are cited by the data currently shown on this page.
Updated
Scores are heuristics, not safety guarantees. LakeRadar scores summarize available conditions and are not a substitute for official warnings, local rules, or on-water judgment.
All telemetry for Lake Sakakawea is synchronized directly from authorized federal and state monitoring networks (USGS, NWS, NOAA, and state environmental authorities). Observations are strictly instrumented readings — unmonitored sensors are transparently disclosed rather than synthetic estimates.
Last source audit: Oct 9, 5:39 AM CDT