Dakota recreation report for October 22, 2010

Jamestown Sun

Dakota Recreation Report

Oct. 22, 2010

Patricia Stockdill

Outdoor Notes:

Saturday: Mink, muskrat, & weasel trapping seasons open.

Nov. 1: Woodcock season closes.

Nov. 5: Deer gun season opens.

Fishing:

Devils Lake elevation, Oct. 20: 1,451.33 feet above mean sea level (msl).

Stump Lake elevation, Oct. 20: 1,451.38 msl.

Lake Sakakawea elevation, Oct. 20: 1,846.4 msl; 30,000 cubic feet per second average Garrison Dam daily releases.

N.D. Game & Fish Dept. Dist. Game Wardens: Devils Lake producing a fair fall walleye bite around the Minnewaukan Flats using crankbaits. Fall bite seems to be kicking in on the Red River with some decent walleye and sauger taken. Smaller reservoirs continue producing a steady bite, as well. Lake Sakakawea and Lake Audubon slow. Missouri River tailrace producing some trout and salmon from shore at night casting crankbaits off the rocks.

Devils Lake, Ed’s Bait & Tackle, Devils Lake: Continued fair to good for walleye throughout much of the lake. Try trolling crankbaits or spinners and bottom bouncers.

Devils Lake, Lakeview Lodge, Devils Lake: Fair to good walleye success using crankbaits.

Devils Lake, Woodland Resort, Creel Bay, Devils Lake: Continued good walleye success. Try trolling crankbaits in 10 to 17 feet. Also try jigs and minnows.

Goose Lake, Harvey: Slow.

Harvey Dam, Harvey: Fair to good for northern pike.

Jamestown Reservoir, Dan’s Sooper Stop, Jamestown: Not many anglers out but those going are finding hit-and-miss walleye success.

Jamestown Reservoir, Pioneer Bait Shop, Jamestown: Scattered activity and success.

Lake Ashtabula, Bayshore, Valley City: Activity angler quieted down, in part with breezier weather over the past week. Shore-fishing success from the grades slowed with an overall slow-down in both activity and success. Boat success winding down, too, although anglers still finding a few panfish. Public docks are removed for the season.

Missouri River, Dakota Tackle, Bismarck: Most activity on the Missouri River is south of Bismarck-Mandan working down to the border. Some nice-sized walleye with smaller ones mixed in with overall fair success. Good numbers of nice-sized white bass around Fort Rice.

Red River, Riverkeepers, Fargo: River levels dropping and flows decreasing but elevations are still above normal fall levels. Ramps are open and in good condition, though. Hunting activity is cutting down on the number of anglers on the river but those anglers still out are finding a few walleye and northern pike.

Spiritwood Lake, Dan’s Sooper Stop, Jamestown: Some northern pike success.

Hunting & Migration:

Arrowwood Nat’l. Wildlife Refuge (NWR), Pingree: Still slow for migration activity with few hunters out and about. Most activity is around the Woodworth area. Refuge has a few more birds but possibly because smaller wetlands are drying up and the birds are moving to larger waters.

Lonetree Wildlife Management Area, Harvey: Fair pheasant success, perhaps in part to mild weather and standing crops. Slim waterfowl numbers and hunters will find challenging success until an influx of northern birds comes in.

East-central N.D.: Many local ducks moved out of the area with little northern migration yet to replace them.

North-central N.D.: Not much for waterfowl activity with no big influx of northern birds yet.

Northeast N.D.: Little movement of northern birds yet. A few lesser Canada geese starting to show up but overall waterfowl success is somewhat tough.

Southeast N.D.: Warm weather helping with corn harvest so that should help hunters with birds moving out of the fields. Local ducks continue trickling out with a few migrants now showing up in Richland County and southwest Cass County. Pheasant hunters continue finding nice success. With sloughs so wet, birds are along the cattail edges, up into the upland grasslands, and along cornfields and shelterbelt junctions.

West-central N.D.: Mixed pheasant success with hunters finding good bird numbers in some areas and other areas slower. Some pockets of waterfowl moving in but no widespread migration with fair success.

Numbers to know:

N.D. Game & Fish Department, main Bismarck office: 328-6300; Web site: (http://gf.nd.gov).

N.D. Game & Fish Department, Jamestown office: 253-6480.

Tags: getting outside, outdoors, hunting, recreation