Dakota Recreation Report- Dec. 17, 2018

Outdoor notes:

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

*Dec. 18: Valley City and Jamestown Christmas Birds Counts.

*Dec. 21: Zone 2 Canada goose season closes.

*Dec. 28: Zone 1 Canada goose season closes.

Fishing:

*Devils Lake elevation, Dec. 11: 1,448.12 feet above mean sea level (MSL).

*Stump Lake elevation: 1,448.06 MSL.

*Lake Sakakawea elevation: 1,839.94 MSL; 21,000 cubic feet per second average (CFS) Garrison Dam daily releases.

*N.D. Game and Fish Dept. Dist. game wardens: Antelope Lake slowed. Goose Lake producing a few walleye but a case of quality more so than quantity. Sort through for keeper walleye on Clear Lake. Watch ice heaves on Devils Lake. Ice depth is also highly variable in the bays with no activity on the main lake yet. Overall spotty success on Devils Lake with the most consistent success around East Bay. Lake Alice and Lake Irvine producing nice perch and walleye. No activity on the east end of Lake Sakakawea.

*Devils Lake, Ed’s Bait Shop, Devils Lake: Improving perch success. Try around East Bay Campground or south shore around Fort Totten. Fair to good pike spearing success on northern feeder lakes with some hook-and-line walleye activity.

*Devils Lake, Lakeview Lodge, Minnewaukan: Continued walleye success in northern feeder lakes with a few perch showing up in East Bay.

*Devils Lake, West Bay Resort, Minnewaukan: Fair activity with most anglers still up on northern feeder lakes.

*Devils Lake, Woodland Resort, Devils Lake: A mix of perch and walleye activity with most anglers staying in locations such as Creel Bay. Continued activity on northern feeder lakes.

*Foster County area lakes, Dry Dock, Carrington: Lots of activity on area lakes. Try minnows for walleye and wax worms for perch.

*Jamestown Reservoir, Pioneer Bait & Tackle, Jamestown: Lots of activity using minnows or wax worms throughout area lakes with especially success for crappie and perch.

*Jamestown Reservoir, Sooper Stop, Jamestown: Continued fair to good crappie success on Jamestown Reservoir with a few perch mixed in. Lots of activity on small area lakes.

*Lake Ashtabula, Ashtabula Crossing, Luverne: Limited reports.

*Lake Ashtabula, Bayshore, Valley City: Increasing number of anglers on the ice but they’re not accessing with pickups yet, putting houses out with ATVs. Overall fair walleye success with some perch mixed in.

*Lake Sakakawea, Cenex Bait & Tackle, Garrison: Spotty walleye success on Lake Audubon with most activity still along the east end. Try jigs and minnows. Ice depth varies so use caution. Missouri River continues producing walleye in the tailrace and down river.

*Lake Sakakawea/Lake Audubon/Missouri River, Scott’s Bait and Tackle, Pick City: Not much Missouri River activity but a few anglers still shore-fishing for walleye from the rocks at night and wing walls during the day. A few boat anglers working down river during the day. Not many Lake Audubon reports.

*Lonetree WMA area lakes, Harvey: Continued fair to good success on area pike, perch and walleye lakes.

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

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

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

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

Hunting:

*Pheasants: Birds are flighty but hunters still finding some pockets with fair bird numbers. Not much hunting pressure, though, in areas but better numbers than anticipated are still around the Lonetree WMA.

*Waterfowl: Good numbers remain along the open water of the east end of Lake Sakakawea and the Missouri River but Van Hook Arm and midsection iced over and birds moved out. Numbers to know:

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

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