Dakota Recreation Report

Outdoor notes:

*Ice is never completely safe. Avoid areas with vegetation, moving water, pressure ridge and springs. Check conditions as you go along on the ice.

*April 1: Snowmobile N.D. trails close.

*April 1: New fishing and furbearer licenses due.

Fishing:

*Devils Lake elevation, March 20: 1,44.65 feet above mean sea level (MSL). 

*Stump Lake elevation: 1,449.63 MSL.

*Lake Sakakawea elevation: 1,837.44 MSL; 22,000 cubic feet per second average (CFS) Garrison Dam daily releases.

*N.D. Game & Fish Dept. Dist. game wardens: Devils Lake spotty but access remains OK. Some access points are becoming marginal with slush and mud, however. Try East Bay for perch. No east-central lake reports.

*Bismarck, Dakota Tackle, central N.D. lakes: Mud Lake, Medina, slow.

*Devils Lake, Ed’s Bait Shop, Devils Lake: Ice conditions remain good on Devils Lake but with warming temperatures look for mud and slush along shorelines. Best walleye and pike success is along the west end. Work structure in 7-to-12 feet. Perch success remains tough on the east end. Anglers marking fish but the bite isn’t on.

*Devils Lake, Lakeview Lodge, Minnewaukan: Perch bite remains tough. Anglers marking them but they’re not biting. Walleye also elusive but a nice pike bite is on with some nice-sized fish.

*Devils Lake, Woodland Resort, Devils Lake: Walleye and perch slowed. Try as deep as 50 feet for perch. Best walleye success, such as it is, is in the morning. Work 7-to-10 feet for a good pike bite.

*Foster County area lakes, Dry Dock, Carrington: Activity remains light on area lakes.

*Jamestown Reservoir, Pioneer Bait & Tackle, Jamestown: Limited activity on area lakes but the few anglers going to Jamestown Reservoir are getting some crappie.

*Jamestown Reservoir, Sooper Stop, Jamestown: Try Woodworth area lakes for a perch bite. No reports on crappie from Jamestown Reservoir.

*Lake Ashtabula, Bayshore, Valley City: Little activity with generally slow success. Access is becoming poor as water and slush develop along shorelines.

*Lake Sakakawea, Cenex Bait & Tackle, Garrison: Prior to this week’s snow anglers were finding pike with some walleye mixed in at Douglas Bay, humps along Centennial Bay, and Seven Sisters on the east end of Lake Sakakawea. Try jigs and minnows for walleye; smelt for pike. Lake Audubon continues producing activity with sporadic walleye success. Try the east end embankment. Weather permitting, anglers finding a few nice walleye on the Missouri river tailrace from the honey hole to first and second coal veins from boats. Try the spillway blowout for pike.

*Lake Sakakawea/Lake Audubon/Missouri River, Scott’s Bait and Tackle, Pick City: Weather permitting, some spotty walleye activity from wing walls and boats down river on the Missouri River tailrace. Try Wolf Creek for pike on Lake Sakakawea but access is difficult after the new snow.

*Lonetree WMA area lakes, Harvey: Clear Lake producing a few walleye but overall activity and success on other area lakes still somewhat slow. Ice conditions remain good.

*Pipestem Reservoir, Pioneer Bait & Tackle, Jamestown: Little activity.

*Pipestem Reservoir, Sooper Stop, Jamestown: No reports.

*Spiritwood Lake, Pioneer Bait & Tackle, Jamestown: No new reports.

*Spiritwood Lake, Sooper Stop, Jamestown: No new reports.

Downhill skiing:

*Bottineau Winter Park, Bottineau: 8-to-18 inch groomed base. 1 chair, 2 carpets, and 1 handle tow with 8 ski runs and seven tubing lanes open.

*Buena Vista Ski Area, Bemidji, Minn .: 18-to-40 inch machine groomed base. All runs and Bear Track Terrain Park.

*Frostfire Ski Area, Walhalla: No new reports.

*Huff Hills Ski Area, Mandan: 25-to-32 inch base. base with 2 lifts, bunny tow, and all runs open. Open Thursday through Sunday.

Snowmobile N.D.:

*East Central Valley Trail (Cass & Richland counties): 3- to-5 inch base. Rural Cass North trail closed. Other trails open.

*Lake Region (Nelson & Ramsey counties): Trail 3 open, groomed, and in fair condition with 4-to-8 inch base. Trail 4 open along U.S. Highway 2 and north to Trail 3. Trails 5 & 6 open along Highway 2.

*Missouri Valley (Emmons & Burleigh counties): 4-to-6 inch base: Wilton and Sterling trails open and in good condition.

*Northeast Trail (Cavalier, Pembina, & Walsh counties): 4-to-8 inch base. Conditions fair at best but some trails open – Moonlighter Gorge, Langdon to Osnabrock corner; North Nekoma Trailblazers, Langdon to Nekoma to Milton; Tri-County open to Osnabrock corner and Adams to Edinburg to Milton.

*Peace Garden Trail (Bottineau & Rolette counties): 3-to 6-inch base. Trail 2 open from Lake Metigoshe to the ski lodge. Trails 4 and 5 open. Treed areas have nice snow; open areas in poor condition.

*Red River South (Grand Forks & Walsh counties): 3-to-6 inch base. West Loop open Fordville to Lankin, East Loop open Inkster to Johnstown, Alberta Clipper Loop open Gilby to Manville, and Turtle River Loop.

*Sno-Trails (Bottineau, McHenry, Renville, & Ward counties): 2-to-4 inch base. Deering, Glenburn, Minot, and Surrey trails open.

*All other trails closed.

N.D. Parks & Recreation Dept. trails:

*Lake Metigoshe, Bottineau: Trails open and in good condition, although icy in spots after warm weather spell.

*Grahams Island, Devils Lake: Trails open and in fair condition.

*Icelandic, Cavalier: Trails open but in poor condition.

*Turtle River, Arvilla: Trails open and in good condition.

Numbers to know:

*N.D. Game and Fish Department, main Bismarck office: (701) 328-6300, website: (http://gf.nd.gov).

*N.D. Game and Fish Department, Devils Lake office: (701) 662-3617.

*N.D. Game & Fish Department, Jamestown office: (701) 253-6480.

*Report All Poachers: (800) 472-2121 or (701) 328-9921.