Dakota Recreation Report, Feb. 10, 2012

Outdoor Notes:

Saturday: Sullys Hill National Game Preserve Winter Festival with 10 a.m. digital photography workshop, 11 a.m. ice-fishing and spearfishing basics, 11:30 a.m. “Make your own jigging stick”, and ice-fishing at 1 p.m. Call (701) 766-4272 for more information.

Saturday: N.D. Game & Fish Dept. Hunter Education conference, Bismarck.

Saturday: Becoming an Outdoors-Woman Darkhouse spearing workshop, Lake Darling. More information and registration available on the N.D. Game & Fish Dept. website, (gf.nd.gov) or contact BOW coordinator, Nancy Boldt, (701) 328-6312 for more information.

Feb. 15: Spring turkey applications due.

Feb. 18: Light goose season opens.

Feb. 18: Ducks Unlimited Waterfowlers Hunter Party, Bismarck, 5:30 p.m., Doublewood Inn.

Tournaments:

Saturday: Mundt Lake, Lake LaMoure.

Feb. 18: Jamestown Reservoir; Lake Audubon; Missouri River, Marina Bay.

Feb. 25: Bader Lake.

Feb. 26: Silver Lake.

Fishing:

Ice is never completely safe. Use caution, especially in areas with vegetation and around bridges. Check conditions locally before going out.

Devils Lake elevation, Feb. 7: 1,453.36 feet above mean sea level (msl).

Stump Lake elevation, Feb. 7: 1,453.38 msl.

Lake Sakakawea elevation, Feb. 7: 1,838.4 msl; 22,000 cubic feet per second average (CFS) Garrison Dam daily releases.

N.D. Game & Fish Dept. Dist. game wardens: Continued fair but steady success throughout many area lakes with anglers exploring new waters, even sloughs that hadn’t been fished in years. Overall fair to good northern pike and perch success remains in lakes from Cass, Richland, Barnes and LaMoure counties, as well as farther west. Continue working shallow water for pike using tip-ups with smelt. Electronics is key in finding perch but once located, try a variety of bait from wax worm to perch eyes or minnows. Jig options are another good starting point but be willing to switch colors and presentation once the perch are located. Small perch continue to bite in small lakes across Traill and Steele counties, however, they’re definitely small. Head to Devils Lake to target bigger perch. Warsing dam fair for perch with few bluegill on the side. East Devils Lake fair to good for perch with some walleye mixed in. Work deep around the southeast corner of the bay. Some northern pike on the north end of Creel Bay near the highway in the northwest corner. Continued activity on Lake Audubon but use caution with variable ice conditions along the shoreline, pressure ridges and islands. Check icehouses with colder temperatures to make certain they don’t ice in. Anyone who goes through the ice should contact enforcement authorities to inform them they’re OK. Vehicles must be off the ice.

Coal Mine Lake, Anamoose: Fair for pike but water is too cloudy for spearing.

Devils Lake, Ed’s Bait & Tackle, Devils Lake: West side of the Minnewaukan Flats, Stromme’s Addition, Bud Bay, the towers, Mission Bay, Camp Grafton, Prouty’s Point and Birkland’s Bay are all producing walleye in 8 to 20 feet. Try Creel Bay, Hay Bale Bay, Black Tiger Bay or East Devils Lake for perch in 20 to 60 feet, depending on location. Work shallow water in cattails for pike around north end of 6-Mile Bay or Walford’s Bay, Lake Irvine or lakes north of Devils Lake.

Devils Lake, Lakeview Lodge, Devils Lake: Fair for small walleye and pike with perch scattered in. Overall success slowed slightly with better success on sunny days.

Devils Lake, Woodland Resort, Creel Bay, Devils Lake: Walleye and perch slowed slightly with ferocious pike success. Try Creel or Walford’s bays for pike. Work throughout the main lake and in deep water of Creel Bay for perch and walleye.

Goose Lake, Harvey: Good for perch. Fair for pike and walleye.

Harvey Dam, Harvey: Northern pike fair.

Hurdsfield Dam, Hurdsfield: Walleye and perch fair.

Jamestown Reservoir, Dan’s Sooper Stop, Jamestown: Lots of activity on the reservoir with pre-fishing for the upcoming tournament but limited reports. Mundt and Carlson lakes continue producing perch with activity on several small area lakes.

Jamestown Reservoir, Pioneer Bait Shop, Jamestown: Continued fair activity on the reservoir. Lots of activity on small area lakes although success slowed slightly. Overall, though, success is fair with lots of anglers on the ice. Look for bigger perch on Devils Lake around the Minnewaukan Flats and east of N.D. Highway 57.

Lake Ashtabula, Bayshore, Valley City: Continued fair but slightly slower for perch with some small walleye success.

Lake Sakakawea, Cenex Bait & Tackle, Garrison: Lake Audubon remains fair for walleye with most activity around the south side. Missouri River spotty but fair for walleye depending, in part, on Garrison Dam releases. Some walleye, perch and pike on activity on Steinke and Centennial bays on Lake Sakakawea but use extreme caution with varying ice conditions.

Missouri River, Dakota Tackle, Bismarck: Some spearing activity at Beaver Bay on Lake Oahe, although success is limited with cloudy water conditions. Lake Audubon remains fair.

Pipestem Reservoir, Dan’s Sooper Stop, Jamestown: Fair to good for crappie. Try small minnows.

Pipestem Reservoir, Pioneer Bait Shop, Jamestown: Fair for crappie with lots of activity. Look for some perch success. Work close to the bottom.

Spiritwood Lake, Dan’s Sooper Stop, Jamestown: Fair pike spearing success.

Spiritwood Lake, Pioneer Bait Shop, Jamestown: Some activity but success is slow.

Downhill skiing, Feb. 7:

Bears Den Mountain, Fort Ransom: Closed until snowmaking conditions improve.

Bottineau Winter Park, Bottineau: 8- to 16-inch base with groomed powder conditions. All runs and lifts open with 3 Tube Park runs and several rails and jumps in the Terrain Park.

Frostfire Ski Area, Walhalla: 15- to 25-inch base with about 4 inches of new snow over the past week. All runs open.

Huff Hills, Mandan: 10- to 36-inch base with packed powder, loose granular conditions. 5 run, 2 lifts and Bunny tow open.

N.D. Parks & Recreation Dept. State Parks cross-country ski trails, Feb. 10:

Lake Metigoshe, Bottineau: Trails open for hiking with poor skiing conditions due to minimal snow cover in the trees and open, bare ground in open areas.

Icelandic, Cavalier: Trails packed but ungroomed with an icy layer on top.

Numbers to know:

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

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

RAP, Report All Poachers: (800) 472-2121.

U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, Bismarck, website: (www.fws.gov/northdakotafieldoffice).

Tags: outdoors, recreation, hunting