Jamestown Sun
Dakota Recreation Report
March 4, 2011
Patricia Stockdill
Outdoor Notes:
March 15: Permanent houses must be removed from all state lakes but can be used if taken off daily. Darkhouse spearing season closes.
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, March 2: 1,451.7 feet above mean sea level (msl).
Stump Lake elevation, March 2: 1,451.61 msl.
Lake Sakakawea elevation, March 2: 1,838.5 msl; 26,000 cubic feet per second average Garrison Dam daily releases.
N.D. Game & Fish Dept. Dist. Game Wardens: Red River has above normal flows and extreme caution is needed with varying and dangerous ice conditions. Anglers looking to get goldeye for smoking could find success using jigs and minnows. Small Sargent County lakes are producing good panfish with success as good if not better than any time this winter. Missouri River tailrace remains fair for walleye from boats.
Coal Mine Lake, Anamoose: Limited activity with poor access.
Devils Lake, Ed’s Bait & Tackle, Devils Lake: Access improved so vehicles can now get around better on the ice. Fair to good perch and walleye success with most activity around the north end of 6-Mile Bay in 28 to 38 feet. Also try deeper around Doc Hagen’s or south side of N.D. Highway 19 in front of the campground or in front of the country club in 6-Miles. Work 6-mile Bay or Doc Hagen’s in shallower water for walleye.
Devils Lake, West Bay Resort, Minnewaukan: Spotty walleye success with most activity around Pelican Lake or Mauvais Coulee.
Devils Lake, Woodland Resort, Creel Bay, Devils Lake: Fair to good for perch and walleye. Try Lake Irvine with slower success around Creel Bay. Access improved so vehicles can get around better on the lake.
Goose Lake, Harvey: Limited activity with poor access.
Harvey Dam, Harvey: Some vehicle access in a few areas with limited northern pike and success.
Jamestown Reservoir, Dan’s Sooper Stop, Jamestown: More anglers on the lake with fair success.
Jamestown Reservoir, Pioneer Bait Shop, Jamestown: Weather permitting, more anglers are out. Those going are finding fair success. Access is better on area on lakes. Improving success on Devils Lake.
Lake Ashtabula, Bayshore, Valley City: Limited angling activity but a few anglers are finding an occasional walleye.
Lake Sakakawea, Cenex Bait & Tackle, Garrison: Missouri River tailrace slowed during the day from boats. Best success from shore off the rocks at night casting crankbaits. Use caution on icy rocks. Lake Audubon slow to fair for small walleye.
Lake Sakakawea, Scott’s Bait & Tackle, Pick City: Increasing activity on Crooked Lake with fair perch success using jigs and minnows. Continued activity on the Missouri River tailrace, weather permitting, from boats using jigs and minnows or Gulp. Wing walls and from shore off the rocks also producing some success.
Missouri River, Dakota Tackle, Bismarck: Moffitt Creek producing 7- to 8-pound northern pike in the channel. Beaver Bay on Lake Oahe remains fair for northern pike, perch, and walleye. Best walleye success is at night. Look for crappie around Langelier’s Bay. Eckroth Bottoms slowed. Cold weather limiting Missouri River tailrace activity.
Red River, River Keepers, Fargo: Fishing remains limited with ice conditions still highly variable in Fargo-Moorhead with open water in some areas. Flows remains extremely high.
Pipestem Reservoir, Pioneer Bait Shop, Jamestown: Try the upper end, accessing with snowmobiles or 4-wheelers.
Spiritwood Lake, Dan’s Sooper Stop, Jamestown: A few more anglers going out with some northern pike hook-and-line and darkhouse spearing activity.
Spiritwood Lake, Pioneer Bait Shop, Jamestown: Fewer reports coming in.
Snowmobile N.D. trail report:
Cattail (Steele, Cass, and Traill counties): 8-inch base. Trails open and in fair condition but won’t be groomed.
East Central Valley (Fargo, Casselton area): 8-inch base. Trails open and in fair condition but won’t be groomed.
Lake Region (Devils Lake area): 8-inch base. Trails open and in fair condition. Trail 3 and part of Trail 4 groomed.
May-Port (Mayville, Portland area): 4-inch base. Trails open and in fair condition but won’t be groomed.
Missouri Valley (Bismarck, Linton area): 4-inch base. Trails open and in fair condition but won’t be groomed.
North Central (Leeds, Rugby area): 7-inch base. Trails open and in fair to good condition but won’t be groomed.
Northeast (Cavalier, Langdon, Edinburg area): 5-inch base. Trails open with some sections groomed. Eastern trails around Cavalier won’t be groomed and need more snow to continue any grooming. Trails groomed around Nekoma, Langdon, Osnabrock, and Milton. Conditions held up better in the western portion of the system and have fair to good snow conditions.
Peace Garden (Bottineau, Rolla area): 6-inch base. Trails open but won’t be groomed. Snow conditions fair with good trail conditions. Several sections re-routed due to thin ice.
Red River North (Grafton): 6-inch base. Trails open and in fair condition but won’t be groomed.
Red River South (Grand Forks, Fordville, Manvel area): 5-inch base. Trails open and in fair condition but won’t be groomed.
Sargent County (Sargent and Richland counties): 8-inch base. Trails open and in fair condition but won’t be groomed.
Sheyenne Valley (Jamestown, Valley City, Lisbon, Oakes area): 6-inch base. Trails open and in fair to good condition.
Sno-Trails (McHenry & Ward counties): 7-inch base. Trails opened and in fair to good condition.
Southern Valley (Wahpeton, Mooreton): 11-inch base. Trails open and in fair condition but won’t be groomed.
Downhill skiing:
Bears Den Mountain, Fort Ransom: Open Friday through Sunday. No trail updates.
Bottineau Winter Park, Bottineau: 10- to 18-inch base with packed powder conditions and 8 inches new snow. All lifts and runs open, including Terrain Park and 3 tubing runs. Open Thursday through Sunday with Thursday and Friday night skiing.
Frostfire Ski Area, Walhalla: 25- to 35-inch base with all runs open and lifts operating. Open Thursday through Sunday.
Huff Hills, Mandan: 22- to 26-inch base 13 runs open. 2 lifts and the Bunny tow operating. Spring Fest to be held Saturday.
N.D. Parks & Recreation Dept. State Parks cross-country skiing trail report. Annual or day use pass needed:
Fort Ransom, Fort Ransom: 8-inch base with fair conditions.
Grahams Island, Devils Lake: 12- to 16-inch base with fair conditions.
Icelandic, Cavalier: 8- to 12-inch base with fair conditions.
Lake Metigoshe, Bottineau: Loops A, B, & C closed. Loop D open but in poor condition with 20-inch base.
Turtle River, Arvilla: 8- to 12-inch base with poor conditions.
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, hunting, fishing, recreation, wildife
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