Jamestown Sun
Dakota Recreation Report
Feb. 8, 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.
Spring turkey applications now available. Download applications or apply online, N.D. Game & Fish Dept. website, (gf.nd.gov).
Saturday: Bois De Sioux Rocky Mtn. Elk Foundation banquet, Wahpeton.
Saturday: Sullys Hill annual Winter Festival.
Saturday: Heritage Outbound Adventure, Fort Clark State Historic Site.
Feb. 13: Spring turkey applications due.
Tournaments:
Saturday: Mundt Lake, Lake Audubon.
Feb. 16: Lake LaMoure, Jamestown Reservoir, Lake Ashtabula.
Feb. 16 & 17: Lake Sakakawea.
Feb. 23: Coldwater Lake.
Feb. 24: Silver Lake.
Fishing:
Devils Lake elevation, Feb. 6: 1,451.37 feet above mean sea level (MSL).
Stump Lake elevation, Feb. 6: 1,451.42 MSL.
Lake Sakakawea elevation, Feb. 6: 1,828.1 MSL; 23,000 cubic feet per second average (CFS) Garrison Dam daily releases.
N.D. Game & Fish Dept. Dist. game wardens: No reports from Devils Lake. Access is more difficult on many southeastern lakes with some areas receiving nearly a foot of snow over past couple of weeks. Snowmobiles or walking is the best way to access many lakes in Richland and Sargent counties. Most anglers are still finding pike using a variety of presentations along with the typical smelt on a tip-up. Try a variety of bait, however. Pike spearing across Barnes, Stutsman, and LaMoure county lakes also producing success with best action in 6 to 10 feet. Early morning or late evening seems to be the best with limited mid-day success. Brewer Lake, Casselton Reservoir, and Woodhaven Pond slow for panfish and walleye but stable weather might change success. Drill a lot of holes, move around, and mark fish. Wolf Creek fair for pike on Lake Sakakawea. Lake Audubon remains fair at best and spotty for walleye and perch.
Devils Lake, Ed’s Bait & Tackle, Devils Lake: Success slowed so the key is to get out and move around more with fish becoming more inconsistent with alternating weather patterns. Try the same locations but vary depth and drill a lot of holes.
Devils Lake, Lakeview Lodge, Devils Lake: Inconsistent weather inconsistent walleye success. Be patient and move around.
Devils Lake, West Bay Resort, Minnewaukan: Success slowed so the key is to get out and move around more with fish becoming more inconsistent with alternating weather patterns. Try the same locations but vary depth and drill a lot of holes.
Devils Lake, Woodland Resort, Creel Bay, Devils Lake: Fair to good walleye and perch success. Try Stromme’s Addition, Doc Hagen’s or Military Point using buckshot spoons or minnows with a plain hook and bobber. Try tip ups and herring or smelt for pike.
Jamestown Reservoir, Pioneer Bait Shop, Jamestown: Continued fair to good success throughout much of the area, although small lakes are starting to get snow so access is more difficult. Anglers are moving some houses off. Look for continued perch on small lakes but fewer limits coming from several. Gackle-area lakes remain fair to good. Jamestown Reservoir fair to good for walleye and crappie. Best access is snowmobile, 4-wheeler or Sno-Cat.
Jamestown Reservoir, Sooper Stop, Jamestown: Schock Lake producing numbers of 10-inch perch. Jamestown Reservoir is hit-and-miss for walleye with some nice crappie mixed in.
Lake Ashtabula, Bayshore, Valley City: Success slowed in general with fewer walleye showing up. Fewer houses on small area lakes, as well.
Lake Sakakawea, Cenex Bait & Tackle, Garrison: Continued walleye success on Lake Sakakawea around Douglas, Centennial, and Steinke bays. Some pike mixed in. Watch pressure ridge around the mouth of Garrison Bay and don’t cross because of thin and dangerous ice. Lake Audubon fair for walleye around the U.S. Highway 83 embankment and East Totten Trail. Some pike, as well.
Lake Sakakawea, Scott’s Bait & Tackle, Pick City: Spotty walleye success from the Missouri River wing walls. Limited activity down river in boats on the river. Try Wolf Creek on Lake Sakakawea for walleye with somewhat better pike success. Overall, the lake is spotty.
Lonetree WMA area lakes, Harvey: Coal Mine Lake fair to good for pike, poor for perch. Goose Lake fair to good for pike, walleye, and perch. Antelope and Hurdsfield lakes fair for walleye and perch.
Missouri River, Dakota Tackle, Bismarck: Anglers continue going to Lake Audubon and Crooked Lake. Fort Yates area is slow on Lake Oahe. Davis Lake producing perch.
Pipestem Reservoir, Pioneer Bait Shop, Jamestown: Continued good for crappie.
Pipestem Reservoir, Sooper Stop, Jamestown: Fair to good for crappie with a few pike mixed in.
Red River, River Keepers, Fargo: Despite low river water, modest walleye bite continues on Bois de Sioux and Red Rivers from dusk into evening hours.
Spiritwood Lake, Pioneer Bait Shop, Jamestown: Quiet, although anglers are finding a few small perch.
Spiritwood Lake, Sooper Stop, Jamestown: Somewhat quiet yet, although anglers are finding some small perch.
Snowmobile North Dakota:
East-Central Valley: Rural Cass North Trail closed but other trails open and groomed with 4- to 9-inch base.
Lake Region, Nelson & Ramsey counties: Trails 4 & 5 closed but other trails open and groomed with 3- to 6-inch base.
North-central, Benson, McHenry, Pierce, Ramsey, & Towner counties: NC Trail 2 closed but all other trails open with 3- to 6-inch base. Rugby trails not groomed this past week but other open trails are groomed.
Northeast, Cavalier, Pembina, & Walsh counties: Cavalier Trail closed but other trails open with 3- to 6-inch base. NESCA trail open but ungroomed.
Peace Garden, Bottineau & Rolette counties: Trail 6 closed but all other trails open & groomed with 3- to 5-inch base.
Sno Trails, Bottineau, Renville, McHenry, & Ward counties: Burlington, Foxholm, & Minot trails open and groomed. 4- to 5-inch base.
Southern Valley, Richland County: All trails open and groomed with 3- to 5-inch base.
All other trails remain closed until more snow for grooming.
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).
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