Fly Fishing the Garrison Dam Tailrace, North Dakota: Zones, Seasons and Trip Plan
Location Details / North Dakota / Garrison Dam Tailrace
Fly Fishing the Garrison Dam Tailrace, North Dakota: Zones, Seasons and Trip Plan
The Garrison Dam Tailrace is the Missouri River outlet below Garrison Dam near Riverdale and Pick City, North Dakota: cold, clear, ice-free water where Game and Fish stocks rainbow, brown and tiger trout and Chinook salmon gather in fall. Fly fish it from the riprap shoreline, the wingwalls or a boat, with streamers and deep nymphs.
The honest part first: the Fly Fishing Insider Podcast archive has no guest, episode or tip about the Garrison Dam Tailrace yet, so the facts here come from North Dakota Game and Fish, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, North Dakota Tourism and local reporting, and every podcast tip is labeled transferable.
What makes this water worth the drive is the record book. On the state list dated October 30, 2026, North Dakota's brown trout record (31 pounds, 11 ounces, February 1, 2005), rainbow trout record (21 pounds, 4 ounces, March 26, 1998) and Chinook salmon record (31 pounds, 2 ounces, June 10, 1986) all came from the Missouri River in the Garrison Dam Tailrace.
Species
Rainbow, brown and tiger trout; Chinook salmon; walleye; smaller catfish in summer
Best months
January through April and September through October (our reading); open water all year
Character
Deep bottom-release tailrace, about 750 feet wide and 30 feet deep, rarely above 60 degrees
Nearest towns
Riverdale and Pick City; Garrison
Nearest airports
Bismarck (BIS); Minot (MOT)
Rule to know
Fish released from the wingwalls go into a basket or open container immediately (2026-28 proclamation)
Garrison Dam Tailrace Zone by Zone
A 2010 McLean County Independent profile describes the tailrace as the powerhouse outlet at the lower end of Lake Sakakawea, about a mile southeast of Pick City, with rock riprap on both shores and three wingwalls. Its intake sits about 160 feet down, so the water stays cold and often clear. Game and Fish says about 40,000 rainbow and brown trout have been stocked here a year, and that the trout grow big on rainbow smelt that pass through the dam.
1. The Powerhouse Outlet and Wingwalls
Where current pours out of the powerhouse. Anglers fish the rocky shore and the tops of the wingwalls; best for big trout and fall salmon on heavy streamers and sink tips. Bring a basket: Game and Fish requires wing-wall releases to go into one first.
2. East Tailrace Recreation Area
The main public access, per North Dakota Tourism: shoreline fishing, a boat ramp, a fish cleaning station and restrooms, open year-round with free admission. Our reading: walk the riprap away from the ramp for room and fish the seams.
3. Spillway Pond Recreation Area
Just below the Garrison Dam spillway, with shoreline fishing access and picnic shelters. North Dakota Tourism lists no species for it; treat it as a backup bank on windy days.
4. Downstream Recreation Area and the First Three Miles
The Corps Downstream Campground sits within a mile of the tailrace, and the first three miles below the dam run to the southern boundary of the Downstream Recreational Area. Game and Fish stocked 11,420 tiger trout below Sakakawea in spring 2026 and says to look for them in deeper holes and current seams where fast and slow water meet. Below it, see our Missouri River page.
Reading the Garrison Dam Tailrace Flows
Live USGS gauge: Missouri River at Garrison Dam (06338490). Daily releases: Corps Missouri River Basin Water Management. The Corps reported a 16,000 cfs release in March 2026 and planned to hold it there through the month.
Our reading: releases, not rain, set the tailrace. When releases rise, fish slide into wingwall eddies and riprap edges; when they drop, work the deeper middle seams by boat. Local anglers say a spot can sit empty until a school moves in, so keep casting.
When to Fly Fish the Garrison Dam Tailrace
Our reading from Game and Fish and local reports, not hatch data.
| Target | JAN | FEB | MAR | APR | MAY | JUN | JUL | AUG | SEP | OCT | NOV | DEC |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Trout, open water | ||||||||||||
| Chinook salmon, fall | ||||||||||||
| Walleye | ||||||||||||
| Smaller catfish |
Intensity:LightModerateHeavy
Local anglers call January and February a coin flip; March is better.
Garrison Dam Tailrace Rules to Know
- Closed areas: areas near the Garrison Dam Tailrace posted by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers are closed to fishing (Game and Fish 2026-28).
- Wingwall release: fish released from bridges and wing-walls must be placed in a fish basket or open container immediately (Game and Fish 2026-28).
- Bow and spear: closed from Garrison Dam downstream three miles to the southern boundary of the Corps Downstream Recreational Area (Game and Fish 2026-28).
- Salmon snagging: legal only in Lake Sakakawea, from the dam upstream to the Highway 23 bridge near New Town, September 25 through October 31. Elsewhere, attempting to foul-hook any fish is illegal (Game and Fish 2026-28).
Plan a 3-Day Garrison Dam Tailrace Trip
Day 1: Shore
East Tailrace Riprap
Base in Riverdale or Pick City. Swing a white streamer on a sink tip at first light, then nymph the slower edges under an indicator through midday.
Day 2: Wingwalls or boat
Powerhouse Outlet and Seams
Fish the wingwalls with a heavy streamer and your basket, or launch at East Tailrace and drift the first three miles for tiger trout and walleye.
Day 3: Pick by season
Salmon or Sakakawea
September or October: chase Chinook near the dam. Spring: cross the dam to the Lake Sakakawea shoreline for pike and smallmouth.
What to bring: a 9-foot 7- or 8-weight with sink tips, 1X to 3X tippet, a basket for the wingwalls, studded boots and a North Dakota fishing license.
Want it planned for you?
Book a Local Pro on the Garrison Dam Tailrace
Guide or outfitter on the Garrison Dam Tailrace? Get listed. No FFIP Certified pro is listed on the Garrison Dam Tailrace yet. Put your business in front of anglers planning this water.
Market Your ServicesSee all pros in the FFIP directory.
Plan a Trip with Frontiers
No North Dakota lodge is on our Frontiers list. We represent many great lodges through Frontiers International Travel, roughly 250 worldwide; ask them where your next fly fishing trip should be.
Tailwater Tips from Podcast Guests
No guest has fished the Garrison Dam Tailrace on the record; each tip is transferable.
-
Start managing your drift the instant the flies land
Transferable: the slow seams along the riprap.
Pat Dorsey, South Platte tailwater guide, Guided EP #22 -
Treat low, clear water as skill-building, not a lost cause
Transferable: clear, low winter releases.
Pat Dorsey, Guided EP #22 -
Ditch the tapered leader for a stealthy mono nymph rig
Transferable: deep nymphs in clear tailwater.
Matt Mccannel, Gunnison Gorge tailwater guide, Guided EP #12 -
Bounce and strip your line to keep streamers in the strike zone
Transferable: streamers in the powerhouse current.
Alan Campbell, Grand Rapids, Michigan guide, on Michigan Fly Fishing for Smallies and Pike
Browse every tip in the Fly Fishing Tips Library.
Hear Tailwater Tactics on the Podcast
Guided EP #22: Pat Dorsey Tailwater Tactics: the Colorado tailwater guide on fishing tailwaters effectively. Transferable, not about Garrison Dam. Listen to the audio episode or read the episode notes.
Shop the Water: Flies for the Garrison Dam Tailrace
Mini Dungeon Streamer, White, Size 6
White Marabou Muddler, Size 8
Clouser Minnow Freshwater Assortment
Circus Peanut Envy, Black, Size 6
Olive Black Woolly Bugger, Size 8
Black Zebra Midge Assortment
Bead Head Prince Nymph, 6 Flies
Interchangeable Sink Tips
Garrison Dam Tailrace Questions, Answered
How big are the trout in the Garrison Dam Tailrace?
Big. The Garrison Dam Tailrace holds North Dakota's brown trout record (31 pounds, 11 ounces) and rainbow trout record (21 pounds, 4 ounces). In January 2017, North Dakota Outdoors reported many tailrace rainbows between 5 and 10 pounds, fed by rainbow smelt passing through Garrison Dam.
Can you fly fish the Garrison Dam Tailrace in winter?
Yes. The Garrison Dam Tailrace stays ice-free all year because of its flowing water, and January through April is when many anglers come, while other North Dakota lakes are frozen. Expect slower fishing in January and February than in March.
Do you need a boat to fish the Garrison Dam Tailrace?
No. The East Tailrace Recreation Area and the wingwalls give real shoreline access to the Garrison Dam Tailrace, and the Spillway Pond area adds more bank. A boat, launched at the East Tailrace ramp, helps reach the middle seams and the first three miles downstream.
Garrison Dam Tailrace or Lake Sakakawea for salmon?
Fish the Garrison Dam Tailrace for salmon in current from the bank; Game and Fish tagging showed most tailrace salmon came through the dam from Lake Sakakawea. Fish Lake Sakakawea if you want the legal fall snagging season or salmon in the shallows, where Game and Fish says they gather after Labor Day.
Go on a fly fishing trip you'll never forget
We partnered with Frontiers International Travel to put you on water that's worth the flight. Tell them where you want to go. Don't wait.
Book a TripFly Fishing Insider Podcast has a referral partnership with Frontiers International Travel. If you book after being introduced through us, we may receive compensation at no additional cost to you.
Tight lines, everyone!
By Christian Bacasa, host of the Fly Fishing Insider Podcast. Last reviewed November 2026.
Prices, availability, flight routing and entry requirements change. Every figure on this page is the starting rate published by the lodge or by Frontiers International Travel at the time of writing, per angler, and is a starting point for a quote, not a quote. Seasons, lodge capacity, charter schedules, visa and passport rules and license requirements can all change without notice. Confirm current pricing, availability and entry requirements with your Frontiers specialist before you book anything.