Jamestown Sun
Dakota Recreation Report
Nov. 19, 2010
Patricia Stockdill
Outdoor Notes:
Zone 1 mountain lion season now closed.
Saturday: Mink, muskrat, and weasel seasons open.
Sunday: Deer gun season closes.
Nov. 26: Muzzleloader deer season opens.
Fishing:
Devil Lake elevation, Nov. 17: 1,451.31 feet above mean sea level (msl).
Stump Lake elevation, Nov. 17: 1,451.25 msl.
Lake Sakakawea elevation, Nov. 17: 1,843.9 msl; 31,000 cubic feet per second average Garrison Dam daily releases.
N.D. Game & Fish Dept. Dist. Game Wardens: Late fall fishing should improve with Sheyenne, Red, and Maple rivers continuing to drop in elevation. Still above normal, however. No reports from Devils Lake, Lake Sakakawea or Lake Audubon.
Coal Mine Lake, Anamoose: Light activity but those going are finding an occasional northern pike.
Devils Lake, Ed’s Bait & Tackle, Devils Lake: Limited numbers of anglers on the water but those going are finding continued success around the bridges from both boat and shore.
Devils Lake, Lakeview Lodge, Devils Lake: Limited reports with few anglers on the water.
Devils Lake, Woodland Resort, Creel Bay, Devils Lake: Limited reports with few anglers on the water.
Goose Lake, Harvey: Slow.
Harvey Dam, Harvey: Fair for northern pike.
Jamestown Reservoir, Dan’s Sooper Stop, Jamestown: Not many anglers but those going continue finding fair walleye success.
Jamestown Reservoir, Pioneer Bait Shop, Jamestown: Only a handful of anglers out with limited reports.
Lake Ashtabula, Bayshore, Valley City: Little activity with no reports.
Lake Sakakawea, Cenex Bait & Tackle, Garrison: No activity.
Lake Sakakawea, Scott’s Bait & Tackle, Pick City: No activity on Lake Sakakawea. Continued walleye success with occasional salmon from shore using crankbaits at night in the Missouri River tailrace. So-so success from boats during the day.
Missouri River, Dakota Tackle, Bismarck: Try floating jigs or casting shallow diving crankbaits from shore on the Missouri River. Tailrace OK for walleye but most success is around Bismarck-Mandan.
Red River, Riverkeepers, Fargo: All ramps open in Fargo-Moorhead but little fishing activity and no reports of success. Walleye fishing is good in the Wahpeton-Breckenridge area. Try live bait presentations, especially jigs and minnows, in dead-water areas.
Remember to use caution on the river as it ices over under bridges and around bends with any fast-moving current, especially if snowmobiling.
Hunting & Migration:
N.D. Game & Fish Dept. Dist. Game Wardens: Rut is starting to get underway and more corn has been harvest so deer success seems to improve. Wetlands remain full with water extending into the edges but huntable numbers of waterfowl remained in the central areas and edges of the James and Sheyenne river valleys. Smaller wetlands icing over. Field feeding and large sloughs are key for scouting and overall waterfowl success in the south-central and southeastern parts of N.D. Good snow goose numbers throughout Wells County. OK deer success but hunters generally reporting seeing fewer deer. Lots of coyotes so look for a good predator hunting season. Lots of waterfowl in the area around the east end of Lake Sakakawea and Lake Audubon.
Lonetree WMA, Harvey: Improving deer success with ongoing row crop harvest. Fair upland success but fewer hunters out. Some geese remain in the central portion of the state but could move out with continued cooler weather.
Arrowwood Nat’l. Wildlife Refuge (NWR), Pingree: Refuge largely iced over early in the week. Bird numbers are much reduced with most birds - about 3,000 -being divers, including mostly scaup with a few redhead, canvasbacks and ruddy ducks mixed in. A few green-winged teal and shovelers also remain on the refuge but not many mallards. Scattered snow geese from Minot to Jamestown with larger flocks south of Interstate-94. Not many mallard flocks. Still some Canada geese around but flock size is much reduced. Snow geese remain in Barnes and Stutsman counties along with small pockets of mallards, canvasbacks, and pintails in Barnes County.
J. Clark Salyer NWR, Upham: Wetlands icing over and while some ducks remain in the area, lots of small Canada geese moved out. A few swans still lingered earlier in the week.
East-central N.D.: Fair to good deer success. No big waterfowl numbers in the area. Fair deer success at best.
North-central N.D.: Not many reports of waterfowl activity.
Northeast N.D.: Fair to good deer success. Good numbers of ducks and geese starting to move in from the north.
Southeast N.D.: Large numbers of geese and ducks south of Interstate-94. Fair deer success.
West-central N.D.: Lots of ducks and geese along the east end of the Missouri River System and northern McLean County. Bigger wetlands still open. Pheasant numbers remain strong. Fair deer 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.
RAP, Report All Poachers: (800) 472-2121.
Tags: getting outside, outdoors, recreation, hunting, fishing
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