Dakota Recreation Report

Outdoor Notes:

*July 14: Canoe the Refuge, J. Clark Salyer Nat’l. Wildlife Refuge, Upham, 10 a.m.

Tournaments:

*July 14-15: East Park Lake.

*July 14: Devils Lake, Sibley Lake.

Fishing:

*Stump Lake elevation: 1,449.74 MSL.

*Lake Sakakawea elevation: 1,852.86 MSL; 60,000 cubic feet per second average (CFS) Garrison Dam daily releases.

*N.D. Game & Fish Dept. Dist. game wardens: Harvey area lakes slowed. Fairly decent walleye success on Devils Lake. Red River water temperatures are warming to more than 80 degrees at times. Catfish spawn is over, so now is a good time to target larger catfish. Try holes in the heart of the channel and transition to river bends, locating holes on the edge of current with cut bait goldeye or shrimp.

*Devils Lake, Ed’s Bait Shop, Devils Lake: Improving walleye success from boats using live bait with spinners and bottom bouncers. Move a little deeper in 15 to 30 feet. Locate roadbeds and structure. Fair to good pike success. Try along the highways for white bass.

*Devils Lake, Lakeview Lodge, Minnewaukan: Continued fair to good walleye success. Locate muddy water but some areas of back bays are becoming a little weedy. Try slip bobbers and slow death hooks with nightcrawlers. Continued white bass activity. Good numbers of small pike.

*Devils Lake, West Bay Resort, Minnewaukan: Fair but inconsistent walleye success with fish more scattered. Try a variety of depths and presentations. Good white bass success along Mauvais Coulee.

*Devils Lake, Woodland Resort, Devils Lake: Fair to good walleye success as fish transition to summer bite with anglers now trolling spinners and live bait or crankbaits. Try 15 to 23 feet in Creel Bay, Pelican Lake or West Bay. Solid pike success continues. Try north end of 6-Mile Bay for white bass casting flashy lures or slip bobbers.

*Foster County area lakes, Dry Dock, Carrington: Lots of activity on area lakes, including Devils Lake.

*Jamestown Reservoir, Pioneer Bait & Tackle, Jamestown: Lots of activity on area lakes and Jamestown Reservoir.

*Jamestown Reservoir, Sooper Stop, Jamestown: Lots of activity but limited reports on success.

*Lake Ashtabula, Ashtabula Crossing, Luverne: Fair to good walleye success. Try spinners and bottom bouncers with nightcrawlers. Occasional bass with continued pike success off the rocks.

*Lake Ashtabula, Bayshore, Valley City: Continued bass activity with occasional walleye.

*Lake Sakakawea, Cenex Bait & Tackle, Garrison: Continued fair walleye success on the east end of Lake Sakakawea, but bite is a little more inconsistent after storms moved through. Try shallow but work out a little deeper, as well.

*Lake Sakakawea, Indian Hills Resort, Garrison: Fair walleye success using slow death hooks or spinners with jumbo leeches or nightcrawlers in 10 to 22 feet. Move around.

*Lake Sakakawea/Lake Audubon/Missouri River, Scott’s Bait and Tackle, Pick City: Missouri River tailrace good down river with nice walleye success in the spillway channel using a variety of presentations. Try the cable crossing or car bodies for walleye, as well. Nice numbers of eater-sized fish. Lake Sakakawea producing walleye using spinners and minnows but look for a switch to leeches and nightcrawlers. Also try trolling with crankbaits in 15 to 18 feet. Move around with fish scattered but they seem to be concentrating around the weeds. Good pike and bass success. Look for an occasion salmon but not many anglers pursuing them yet.

*Lonetree WMA area lakes, Harvey: Fair to good walleye and perch success throughout many area lakes with better success in the early morning or late evening hours. Try jigs with live bait with or without a plastic twister tail.

*Pipestem Reservoir, Pioneer Bait & Tackle, Jamestown: Continued crappie success

*Pipestem Reservoir, Sooper Stop, Jamestown: Fair for crappie.

*Spiritwood Lake, Pioneer Bait & Tackle, Jamestown: Limited reports.

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

N.D. river canoeing/kayaking elevation & streamflow:

*James River, Kensal: River stage, 1.88 feet; streamflow, 14.3 CFS.

*Pembina River, Walhalla: River stage, 2.54 feet.

*Red River, Grand Forks: River stage, 17.61 feet.

*Sheyenne River, Warwick: River stage, 3.95 feet.

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 and Fish Department, Jamestown office: (701) 253-6480.

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