Jamestown Sun
Dakota Recreation Report
June 10, 2011
Patricia Stockdill
Outdoor Notes:
Usable Devils Lake ramps: Pelican Lake, 6-Mile Bay (Schwab), Creel Bay (Lakewood), & Spirit Lake Casino. Grahams Island State Park is day-to-day. Call (701) 766-4015 for updates.
Usable Lake Oahe ramps: Hazelton, Beaver Bay, Walker Bottoms, Cattail Bay, and Langelier’s Bay.
Marginal Missouri River/Lake Oahe ramps: Stanton, Steckel, and Fort Rice. All other ramps are closed or unusable.
Idle speed only on the Missouri River from 1,000 feet south of the Steckel Landing to about 19 miles south of Bismarck, south of MacLean Bottoms.
June 13: 19th annual Race the Red canoe and kayak races, Lindenwood Park, Fargo. For more information and to register go to (http://riverkeepers.org/images/uploads/2011_RR_Brochure.pdf).
Tournaments:
Friday: Devils Lake, Woodland Resort.
Sat. & Sun.: Devils Lake, Spirit Lake Casino; Lake Ashtabula.
June 18: Devils Lake, Lakewood.
Jun 18 & 19: Devils Lake, Grahams Island State Park.
Fishing:
Devils Lake elevation, June 8: 1,454.38 feet above mean sea level (msl).
Stump Lake elevation, June 8: 1,454.08 msl.
Lake Sakakawea elevation, June 8: 1,853.4 msl; 130,000 cubic feet per second average Garrison Dam daily releases.
N.D. Game & Fish Dept. Dist. Game Wardens: Warmer and drier weather brings better news for south-central and southeastern lakes and rivers with some of the smaller Barnes, LaMoure, Richland, and Sargent county lakes enjoying more fishing activity and a slight bump in fishing success. No one technique is consistent but try Lindy rigs with minnows or leeches in shallow back bays, transitioning the edges from shallow to deep. Try Dardevles or smelt for northern pike in the shallows of rivers, streams, and even ditches with the high water. Red River has some catfish moving from feeder streams into deeper water and the channel with the best action on sucker minnows off deeper breaklines. Goldeye weren’t producing fish but that could change. Fair to good for walleye on Lake Audubon with lots of activity. East Totten Recreation Area dock is in place but others are out until water stabilizes.
Coal Mine Lake, Anamoose: Fair for northern pike.
Devils Lake, Ed’s Bait & Tackle, Devils Lake: Improving walleye success. Pelican Lake remains good pitching crankbaits towards the shoreline. Also try pitching crankbaits along the shoreline around Grahams Island. Main lake also starting to improve, including East Bay, New Mil Bay or Knudson’s Bay. Water temperatures are warming so success is, as well. Basically find a shallow bay and work 2 to 5 feet. White bass are scattered with most activity on East Bay around Hay Bale Bay.
Devils Lake, Lakeview Lodge, Devils Lake: Mixed walleye success, in part probably because of inconsistent weather patterns. Continued northern pike and white bass success in shallow bays.
Devils Lake, West Bay Resort, Minnewaukan: Fair for walleye, wind and weather permitting. Try Mauvais Coulee.
Devils Lake, Woodland Resort, Creel Bay, Devils Lake: Fair for walleye with more anglers starting to use slip-bobbers or pitching crankbaits in the shallows. Try Pelican Lake or Mauvais Coulee. Good for white bass along East Bay.
Goose Lake, Harvey: Fair to good for northern pike and walleye.
Harvey Dam, Harvey: Slow. Sheyenne River producing northern pike where access is available.
Jamestown Reservoir, Dan’s Sooper Stop, Jamestown: A few more anglers on the water but access remains somewhat limited. Fair walleye success.
Jamestown Reservoir, Pioneer Bait Shop, Jamestown: Fair for walleye in the evening .Not many docks in place yet. Moon Lake fair to good for walleye. Dry Lake fair for walleye.
Lake Ashtabula, Bayshore, Valley City: Some walleye activity but size is quite varied. White bass, northern pike, and perch also mixed in. Overall success is mediocre and scattered throughout much of the lake. Try a variety of presentations. The most consistent success is from the shallows in warmer water.
Lake Sakakawea, Cenex Bait & Tackle, Garrison: Lake Audubon good for walleye. Try the U.S. Highway 83 embankment, east end embankment, North Lake and areas in between using a variety of presentations in variety of depths. Water temperatures are starting to warm. Not much activity on Lake Sakakawea yet.
Lake Sakakawea, Indian Hills Resort, Garrison: A few more anglers on the water with some sauger success in the back bays. Water temperatures are starting to warm up.
Lake Sakakawea, Scott’s Bait & Tackle, Pick City: Lake Sakakawea producing northern pike in the back bays from both boat and shore. Some walleye success. Try 6 to 10 feet pitching jigs towards the shoreline and pulling back towards the boat. Lake Audubon hit-and-miss for walleye. Try spinners with nightcrawlers or jigs and minnows.
Missouri River, Dakota Tackle, Bismarck: Some walleye activity around Beaver Bay, Langelier’s and Mobridge, S.D. on Lake Oahe. Some activity Moffit Creek, Alkaline Lake, Lake Josephine, and New Johns Lake but limited reports.
Red River, River Keepers, Fargo: Red River is running high and fast around the Wahpeton area and has most ramps closed in the Fargo area. Not many boats on the river but those going are finding a few catfish. Anglers also getting catfish from shore.
Pipestem Reservoir, Dan’s Sooper Stop, Jamestown: Limited reports.
Pipestem Reservoir, Pioneer Bait Shop, Jamestown: Lots of water limiting activity.
Spiritwood Lake, Dan’s Sooper Stop, Jamestown: Good numbers of walleye.
Spiritwood Lake, Pioneer Bait Shop, Jamestown: Fair for a variety of species.
North Dakota river levels and streamflow, June 8:
Baldhill Creek, Dazey gage: Creek stage, 7.18 feet; cubic feet per second 85 (CFS).
James River, Jamestown gage: River stage, 11.55 feet; streamflow, 1,800 CFS.
James River, Grace City gage: Streamflow, 245 CFS.
Pipestem Creek, Pingree gage: Creek stage, 6.03 feet; streamflow, 110 CFS.
Red River, Fargo gage: River stage, 18.79 feet.
Sheyenne River, Cooperstown gage: River stage, 11.92 feet; streamflow, 758 CFS.
Sheyenne River, Valley City gage: Streamflow, 1,180 CFS.
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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