Dakota Recreation Report for Jan. 18, 2013

Jamestown Sun

Jan. 18, 2013

Patricia Stockdill

Outdoor Notes:

Ice is never completely safe. Avoid areas with vegetation, moving water, pressure ridges, and springs. Check with local bait shops for any ice condition information.

Don’t chase, harass, or pursue coyote or other wildlife with any motorized vehicle.

Don’t set ice houses closer than 50 feet from other houses.

Registration is now available for winter Becoming an Outdoors-Woman workshops for darkhouse spearing Jan. 26 at Upper Souris Nat’l. Wildlife Refuge (NWR) or Feb. 22-24, Lake Metigoshe State Park. More information is available on the N.D. Game & Fish Dept. website, (gf.nd.gov).

Registration is now available for the Feb. 9 Outbound Winter Adventures, Fort Clark State Historic Site and Knife River Indian Villages Nat’l. Historic Site. Call the State Historical Society of N.D. for information and registration, (701) 328-2792, email Erik Holland, eholland@nd.gov, or register at (history.nd.gov/events/heritageoutbound.html).

Jan. 26: BOW darkhouse spearing workshop, Upper Souris NWR.

Feb. 2: Minn-Dak Big Game Rocky Mtn. Elk Foundation banquet, Fargo.

Tournaments:

Saturday: Lake Ashtabula, Bader Lake, Missouri River, Bismarck-Mandan.

Jan. 26: Devils Lake, 6-Mile Bay.

Fishing:

Devil Lake elevation, Jan. 16: 1,451.35 feet above mean sea level (MSL).

Stump Lake elevation, Jan. 16: 1,451.4 MSL.

Lake Sakakawea elevation, Jan. 16: 1,829.1 MSL; 22,000 cubic feet per second average (CFS) Garrison Dam daily releases.

N.D. Game & Fish Dept. Dist. game wardens: Southeastern lakes and sloughs continue producing an array of fish with most success for pike and perch. Some walleye mixed in. Try working deeper water for perch, 12 to 16 feet, with minnows or wax worms on bright jigs or buckshot rattling spoons. Steady pike fishing and spearing using smelt and hot dogs on tip-ups in shallower back bays or flats in 4 to 12 feet. Walleye are hit-and-miss with more miss than hit. Some lakes in Barnes, LaMoure, McIntosh, and Logan counties are kicking out smaller eater-sized walleye using jigs and minnows. Devils Lake producing perch around the east side, although still somewhat spotty. Access to the lake is still fairly good with spotty walleye success across the lake. Try mid-morning for perch and evening for walleye. Goose Lake still is producing perch. Access is generally good but could change depending on wind and snow. Limited reports from the east end of Lake Sakakawea with mixed accessibility in areas. Some pike activity in Beulah Bay or Dakota Waters. Missouri River is quiet, although some anglers are fishing the wing walls and getting numbers of small, 12-inch walleye.

Devils Lake, Ed’s Bait & Tackle, Devils Lake: Continued walleye success. Try structured areas in 10 to 20 feet along the west side of Minnewaukan Flats, Grahams Island, Doc Hagen’s, Stromme’s Addition, Mission Bay or Fort Totten. Perch bite is scattered so move around a lot in East Devils Lake or Black Tiger Bay. Drill a lot of holes to locate schools.

Devils Lake, Lakeview Lodge, Devils Lake: Overall OK walleye success with perch slowing down after last weekend’s storm. Look for perch to improve with stabile weather. Access remains OK with 4-wheel drive and some trails are being plowed.

Devils Lake, Woodland Resort, Creel Bay, Devils Lake: The lake is starting to see more mixed success with overall fair walleye activity, good for pike but perch are spottier and less consistent. Work deeper for perch and shallower for walleye. Most of the lake is producing at least some walleye with perch success still more consistent on the east side.

Jamestown Reservoir, Dan’s Sooper Stop, Jamestown: Continued good walleye, perch, and pike success on small area lakes.

Jamestown Reservoir, Pioneer Bait Shop, Jamestown: Continued activity on small lakes throughout the area, especially perch. Jamestown Reservoir has lots of activity with anglers finding good numbers of walleye. Most are small, though, so sort through for keepers. Best success is in the evening. Fair for crappie, as well, on Jamestown Reservoir.

Lake Ashtabula, Bayshore, Valley City: Continued perch and walleye success with more anglers on the ice. Move around. Some pike success farther north. Access remains good throughout the lake.

Lake Sakakawea, Cenex Bait & Tackle, Garrison: Continued good activity on Lake Audubon. The east end of Lake Sakakawea and Douglas Bay are starting to see some walleye and pike activity using a variety of presentations. Ice conditions are variable and anglers need to check depth frequently.

Lake Sakakawea, Scott’s Bait & Tackle, Pick City: Weather permitting, anglers are still finding walleye from the Missouri River wing walls. Some boat activity at times, as well as walleye from shore casting crankbaits from the rocks.

Lonetree WMA area lakes, Harvey: Coal Mine Lake remains good for pike. Harvey Dam improving with fair pike success. Goose Lake, Wells County, fair to good for pike, perch, and walleye but success is more sporadic. Antelope Lake fair to good for walleye and perch but sporadic, as well. Hurdsfield Lake fair for walleye and perch.

Missouri River, Dakota Tackle, Bismarck: Try the mouth of Beaver Creek in 8 to 15 feet in the evening for walleye on Lake Oahe but use caution on the ice. A few crappie coming from the creek and bridge area but it’s a narrow channel. Lake Audubon remains steady. Increasing pike activity for darkhouse spearing but overall success is still somewhat slow. Look for crappie and walleye from Jamestown and Pipestem reservoirs.

Pipestem Reservoir, Dan’s Sooper Stop, Jamestown: No reports.

Pipestem Reservoir, Pioneer Bait Shop, Jamestown: Continued fair to good for crappie.

Spiritwood Lake, Dan’s Sooper Stop, Jamestown: No reports.

Spiritwood Lake, Pioneer Bait Shop, Jamestown: Limited activity.

Hunting:

Predator hunters finding a spike in coyote hunting in the hills of Ransom County and areas of Richland and Sargent counties with cold temperatures and more snow.

Tags: outdoors, fishing