JAMESTOWN, N.D. (NewsDakota.com) – ND Game and Fish Outreach Biologist Doug Leier made his weekly appearance on the JD in the Morning show on Big Dog Country 95.5 on Thursday morning. Leier talked about spearfishing in North Dakota.

Leier said you don’t need a special permit to spearfish in North Dakota. If you are age 16 or older, you do need a fishing license. Leier said, “To darkhouse spearfish, you don’t need to buy anything extra.” You do need to register, however.

Leier says the registration helps the Game and Fish Department to know how many people are spearing, where they are spearing and how successful they are. Northern pike and nongame fish are legal statewide, while walleye can be speared at only Stump Lake and the Devils Lake complex south of U.S. Highway 2 and the Missouri River System (including lakes Oahe and Sakakawea and the Missouri River) up to the first vehicular bridge.

Spearers and anglers are reminded that materials used to mark holes must be in possession as soon as a hole greater than 10 inches in diameter is made in the ice.

All waters open to hook and line fishing are open to darkhouse spearing except:

East Park Lake, West Park Lake, Lake Audubon – McLean County
Heckers Lake – Sheridan County
Lake Ashtabula – Barnes and Griggs counties
Larimore Dam – Grand Forks County
McClusky Canal
New Johns Lake – Burleigh County
Red Willow Lake – Griggs County
Whitman Dam – Nelson County
Wood Lake – Benson County

Listen to Doug Leier’s full interview below…