Jamestown Sun
Dakota Recreation Report
June 29, 2012
Patricia Stockdill
Outdoor Notes:
r Bow-fishing and spearfishing is closed from the Missouri River tailrace to the end of the Downstream Campground.
r Remember fish cleaning station and boat ramp etiquette.
r Fireworks not allowed on N.D. Game & Fish Dept. Wildlife Management Areas (WMA) and U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service Nat’l. Wildlife Refuges.
Devils Lake ramps: All usable, although contact Grahams Island State Park for road access and construction updates.
Missouri River ramps: All usable except Sibley Park and MacLean Bottoms.
Saturday: “Wetland Wonders” presentation, 2 p.m., Sullys Hill Nat’l. Game Preserve.
July 5: Fall turkey applications due.
Tournaments:
Saturday: Lake Audubon.
Sunday: Lake Sakakawea, Fort Stevenson State Park.
July 7: Devils Lake, East Bay.
July 14: Lake Sakakawea, Wolf Creek; Devils Lake, 6-Mile Bay; Devils Lake, Creel Bay.
Fishing:
Devils Lake elevation, June 27: 1,453.11 feet above mean sea level (msl).
Stump Lake elevation, June 27: 1,453.37 msl.
Lake Sakakawea elevation, June 27: 1,837.4 msl; 24,500 cubic feet per second average (CFS) Garrison Dam daily releases.
N.D. Game & Fish Dept. Dist. game wardens: Southeastern rivers have good access and stable water levels with steady success. Boat anglers need to watch for snags and submerged hazards, however. Try minnows or nightcrawlers for walleye. Eater-sized catfish are biting on the edges of the current or on top of holes with nightcrawlers, chicken livers or cutbait goldeye. Smallmouth bass remain good on the Sheyenne River using small jigs and twister tails in the ripples of shallow water.Southeastern and south-central lakes continue producing a nice mix of walleye, northern pike and perch throughout Barnes, LaMoure, Richland, Sargent and Ransom counties. Try spinners or jigs tipped with nightcrawlers or minnows in transition areas, starting shallow in 5 feet and working out to 10 to 15 feet along the deeper ledge.
Jamestown and Pipestem reservoirs good with many smaller walleye caught. Remember the 14-inch minimum walleye size limit on both lakes. Lake Sakakawea improving for walleye with generally fair success. Try from Douglas Bay to the west, including the Van Hook Arm using spinners and nightcrawlers in a variety of depths.
Devils Lake, Ed’s Bait & Tackle, Devils Lake: Continued fair to good walleye success pitching crankbaits in shallow weed beds and along tree lines. Also try slip bobbers in 10 to 15 feet. Some anglers moving deeper in 20 to 25 feet trolling crankbaits or spinners and bottoms bouncers. Work windy shorelines for bass and pike.
Devils Lake, Lakeview Lodge, Devils Lake: Fair to good but inconsistent walleye success with good numbers of small fish. Anglers starting to pull spinners or crankbaits along the weed beds. Weeds seem to be key. Also try slip bobbers.
Devils Lake, Woodland Resort, Creel Bay, Devils Lake: Continued good for small walleye. Try spinners, jigs or slip bobbers around New Mil Bay, Penny Bay, Stromme’s Addition, Doc Hagen’s or Pelican Lake. Also try jigging around the bridges. Pike success remains good. Work shallow for white bass.
Jamestown Reservoir, Dan’s Sooper Stop, Jamestown: Lots of activity throughout area lakes with generally fair success.
Jamestown Reservoir, Pioneer Bait Shop, Jamestown: Continued good success for a variety of species throughout area lakes, including crappie, walleye, smallmouth bass and bullhead. Rivers remain good, as well.
Lake Ashtabula, Bayshore, Valley City: Continued fair to good success for a variety of species throughout much of the lake.
Lonetree WMA area lakes, Harvey: Coal Mine Lake and Harvey Dam fair for pike, slow for perch. Goose Lake continues producing pike and walleye. Antelope and Hurdsfield lakes good for walleye and fair for perch.
Pipestem Reservoir, Dan’s Sooper Stop, Jamestown: Continued fair to good.
Pipestem Reservoir, Pioneer Bait Shop, Jamestown: Continued crappie and walleye success.
Red River, River Keepers, Fargo: Fishing slowed over the past week with rapidly changing river levels due to heavy rains. Catfish and walleye fishing has picked recently, though, with stable weather.
Spiritwood Lake, Dan’s Sooper Stop, Jamestown: Continued fair to good.
Spiritwood Lake, Pioneer Bait Shop, Jamestown: Good for small perch with some nice-sized ones mixed in.
N.D. rivers streamflow and river stage, June 27:
James River, Grace City: River stage, 4.46 feet; streamflow, 9.3 CFS.
James River, Jamestown: River stage, 3.75 feet; streamflow, 114 CFS.
Pipestem Creek, Pingree: Creek stage, 5.02 feet; streamflow, 12 CFS.
Sheyenne River, Cooperstown: River stage, 10.97 feet; streamflow, 375 CFS.
Sheyenne River, Valley City: River stage, 5.62 feet.
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).
More from around the web
RSS Feeds