Jamestown Sun
Dakota Recreation Report
Dec. 17, 2010
Patricia Stockdill
Outdoor Notes:
Thursday: Canada goose season closes, except Missouri River Zone.
Dec. 31: Light goose, Missouri River Zone Canada goose seasons close.
Jan. 2: Archery deer, partridge, ruffed grouse, sharp-tailed grouse, High Plains Duck Unit, pheasant, swan, & squirrel seasons close.
Fishing:
Ice is never completely safe. Use caution, especially around bridges and areas with vegetation. Check local conditions before venturing onto ice. Let someone know your location and estimated return time.
Devils Lake elevation, Dec. 15: 1,451.37 feet above mean sea level (msl).
Stump Lake elevation, Dec. 15: 1,451.31 msl.
Lake Sakakawea elevation, Dec. 15: 1,842 msl; 16,000 cubic feet per second average Garrison Dam daily releases.
N.D. Game & Fish Dept. Dist. Game Wardens: Access difficult to and around southeastern lakes, limiting activity. Heavy snow also causing water to push up through ice holes on some lakes, creating slushy conditions. Overall slow success in the southeast, although some perch lakes producing a few small fish. Lake Juanita producing a few northern pike for darkhouse spearing. Dry Lake slow but has nice ice depth. Limited reports from the midsection of Lake Sakakawea. Increasing activity on Lake Audubon with some walleye success.
Coal Mine Lake, Anamoose: Fair for northern pike but light activity.
Devils Lake, Ed’s Bait & Tackle, Devils Lake: Ice conditions vary with good access onto the lake. Try Walford’s Bay for northern pike. Mission Bay, north end of 6-Mile Bay, and west end of Creel Bay producing some walleye. Try 8 to 20 feet. South end of Black Tiger Bay producing occasional perch in 35 to 45 feet.
Devils Lake, Lakeview Lodge, Devils Lake: Some northern pike activity around Doc Hagen’s with a few small walleye and some perch mixed in. Try 18 feet. Some pike in Walford’s Bay. Ice depth varies.
Devils Lake, West Bay Resort, Minnewaukan: Increasing walleye activity at Mauvais Coulee, 6-Mile Bay or Creel Bay.
Devils Lake, Woodland Resort, Creel Bay, Devils Lake: Walford’s Bay continues producing northern pike. Creel Bay producing some walleye but need some better ice for more activity. Anglers out on other areas of the lake but no reports.
Goose Lake, Harvey: Fair for perch and walleye.
Harvey Dam, Harvey: Fair for northern pike and walleye.
Jamestown Reservoir, Dan’s Sooper Stop, Jamestown: More anglers starting to get on the ice but no reports.
Jamestown Reservoir, Pioneer Bait Shop, Jamestown: Improving perch activity and success on small area lakes. Good numbers running in the 8- to 10-inch range. Improving walleye success on Jamestown Reservoir with more houses getting out as ice conditions improve.
Lake Ashtabula, Bayshore, Valley City: Continued snow is limiting activity, although a few houses are starting to move onto the lake. Access will be difficult. Test ice along the route.
Lake Sakakawea, Cenex Bait & Tackle, Garrison: Lots of snow on the ice on Lake Sakakawea and Lake Audubon with limited activity. No recent reports.
Lake Sakakawea, Scott’s Bait & Tackle, Pick City: Weather permitting, Missouri River continues producing walleye for boat anglers. Some success from the wing walls for eater-sized walleye. Sort through for the keepers. Try live bait. Nelson Bay on Lake Audubon has activity but best access is with snowmobiles.
Missouri River, Dakota Tackle, Bismarck: Cattail and Beaver bays continue producing the most walleye activity on Lake Oahe. Some spearing activity for northern pike. Rice Lake fair for walleye. Some activity on Green Lake but no reports.
Pipestem Reservoir, Dan’s Sooper Stop, Jamestown: More anglers starting to get on the ice but no reports.
Pipestem Reservoir, Pioneer Bait Shop, Jamestown: Some activity but not many reports.
Red River, River Keepers, Fargo: Lots of open area in urban areas and extreme caution is advised. Water levels are varying with changes in dam releases, which can rapidly change ice conditions. No fishing reports.
Spiritwood Lake, Dan’s Sooper Stop, Jamestown: Limited reports yet.
Spiritwood Lake, Pioneer Bait Shop, Jamestown: Some activity but limited reports.
Hunting & Migration:
N.D. Game & Fish Dept. Dist. Game Wardens: Snow and cold limiting pheasant hunting activity.
Lonetree WMA, Harvey: More snow making accessing difficult in many areas of central N.D.
West-central N.D.: Good numbers of pheasants but birds are bunched in winter cover. Some geese remain on the open water of Lake Sakakawea and the Missouri River but access is getting difficult in many rural areas due to heavy snow.
N.D. Parks & Recreation Dept. State Parks cross-country skiing trail report (daily entrance fee or annual pass required):
Fort Ransom, Fort Ransom: About 2 inches new snow with trails groomed Friday, weather permitting. Trails in good condition.
Grahams Island, Devils Lake: Trails in good condition with snow last week.
Icelandic, Cavalier: Trails in poor to fair condition with more snow needed for grooming.
Lake Metigoshe, Bottineau: Loop A closed due to open and moving water. Loop B open and in good condition. Loop C open and partially groomed but with poor ice conditions along the border area. Will groom when conditions improve. Loop D open and partially groomed with wet areas and poor ice along the border area. Groomed in the treed area and will groom when wet and icy areas improve. Warming houses at the Loop C and D intersection and trail head are fully accessible. Sledding hill open and in good condition. 2011 $25 annual pass available at all state park offices and Bismarck headquarters.
Turtle River, Arvilla: 2- to 3-inch base with trails in fair condition.
Downhill ski report:
Bears Den Mountain, Fort Ransom: Ski area not open yet but snowmaking continues with plans to open around Christmas vacation.
Bottineau Winter Park, Bottineau: Open Thursday through Sunday with 8- to 15-inch base and several inches new snow over the past week. Chair lift and 2 handle lifts operating with all runs open, including 2 in the tubing park and some portions of the terrain park.
Frostfire Ski Area, Walhalla: All runs open with 30- to 40-inch base. Open daily through Jan. 2 beginning Saturday. Closed Christmas Day.
Huff Hills, Mandan: Open Saturday and Sunday with 15- to 20-inch base. 3 lifts operating and 15 runs open.
Snowmobile N.D. trail report:
Sno-Trails, Ward and McHenry Counties: Portions of the trail are open with about 5-inch snow base and 2 inches new snow. Open trails include Deering, Deering East, Granville, Minot, and Surrey.
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, wildlife, hunting, fishing
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