Official Newspaper of Eddy County since 1883
Official Newspaper of Eddy County since 1883
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.
*Remember to keep any fish caught in 20 feet of water and deeper because they don’t survive coming up from those depths.
*It’s illegal to chase, harass or pursue all wildlife – including coyotes – with any motorized vehicle.
*March 15 - 16: Midwest Wild Sheep Foundation, including North Dakota, convention, Minnetonka, Minn.
Tournaments:
*March 16: Lake Josephine.
Fishing:
*Devils Lake elevation, Feb. 26: 1,448.35 feet above mean sea level (MSL).
*Stump Lake elevation: 1,448. 27 MSL.
*Lake Sakakawea elevation: 1,837.43 MSL; 26,200 cubic feet per second average (CFS) Garrison Dam daily releases.
*N.D. Game and Fish Dept. Dist. game wardens:
*Devils Lake, Ed’s Bait Shop, Devils Lake: Some trails plowed but wind and snow make it difficult to maintain them open. Stay on trails unless using a tracked vehicle. The limited number of anglers out are catching a few walleye.
*Devils Lake, Lakeview Lodge, Minnewaukan: Access becoming increasingly difficult but anglers with tracked vehicles are finding walleye and perch success. Work shallow water for larger walleye and deep for perch.
*Devils Lake, West Bay Resort, Minnewaukan: No new reports with limited activity.
*Devils Lake, Woodland Resort, Devils Lake: Anglers marking perch but the bite is minimal. Tracked vehicles needed if considering getting off trails with snow drifts now extremely hard. Some trails plowed in East Bay but winds making it difficult to keep them open.
*Foster County area lakes, Dry Dock, Carrington: Watch for slush on some area lakes. Best access on area lakes remain with tracked vehicles. Some perch success yet on Spiritwood Lake but limited reports from other area lakes.
*Jamestown Reservoir, Pioneer Bait and Tackle, Jamestown: Limited reports with minimal activity. Access remains difficult at best unless using tracked vehicles.
*Jamestown Reservoir, Sooper Stop, Jamestown: A few anglers still venturing to area lakes but overall success and angler numbers are limited.
*Lake Ashtabula, Ashtabula Crossing, Luverne: Trail off the Crossing ramp blocked with heavy drifts earlier in the week. Limited activity with minimal at best access – only with tracked vehicles.
*Lake Ashtabula, Bayshore, Valley City: What little available access existed prior to last weekend’s windstorm is virtually gone. Tracked vehicles only to access and move around on the lake. Most houses off the lake.
*Lake Sakakawea, Cenex Bait and Tackle, Garrison: Limited reports with moving around on Lake Sakakawea and Lake Audubon still difficult, along with tough access. Some trails plowed on Lake Audubon, though, around Velva Point and the west end. Conditions could change day-by-day, however.
*Lake Sakakawea/Lake Audubon/Missouri River, Scott’s Bait and Tackle, Pick City: Minimal activity at best with poor access and difficulty moving around on the ice on Lake Audubon. No Missouri River activity.
*Lonetree WMA area lakes, Harvey: Access on area lakes iffy, depending on if and when trails plowed to and around lakes. Anglers who can get on and around are finding fair walleye and perch success.
*Pipestem Reservoir, Pioneer Bait and Tackle, Jamestown: Little activity.
*Pipestem Reservoir, Sooper Stop, Jamestown: No new reports.
*Spiritwood Lake, Pioneer Bait and Tackle, Jamestown: No new reports.
*Spiritwood Lake, Sooper Stop, Jamestown: Limited reports.
N.D. Parks & Recreation Dept. ski trails (conditions can vary):
*Lake Metigoshe, Bottineau: Trails in good condition and groomed, weather permitting. Look for lots of activity with somewhat warmer weather.
*No reports from other parks.
Downhill skiing (conditions can vary):
*Bottineau Winter Park, Bottineau: 14- to 24-inch base with beginner runs, seven runs, seven tubing lanes, with several jumps and rails with 1 box Terrain Park feature open.
*Buena Vista Ski Area, Bemidji, Minn.: 18- to 36-inch machine groomed base with 16 runs and Bear Track Terrain Park open.
*Holiday Mtn. Ski Area, LaRiviere, Manitoba: 12 runs and three lifts open, weather permitting.
*Huff Hills, Mandan: 30- to 32-inch powder, packed powder base. Nine groomed runs open, depending on weather.
Snowmobile N.D. (conditions can vary):
*Cattail (Barnes, Cass, Steele, and Traill counties) Trails open with 4- to 8-inch base.
*East-central Valley (Cass and Richland counties: Trails open and in good condition with 6- to 12-inch base. West side of Rural Cass South Trail closed on the west side from Davenport to Casselton.
*Lake Region (Nelson and Ramsey counties): Trail 4 closed but all others open with 10- to 14-inch base. Good condition.
*Missouri Valley (Emmons and Burleigh counties): 6- to 10 -inch base with all trails open.
*North-central (Benson, McHenry, Pierce, Ramsey, and Towner counties): NC 1, 2 and 3 trails closed but all other trails are open with 6- to 10-inch base. Fair to good condition.
*Northeast (Cavalier, Pembina, and Walsh counties): Border, Pembina, Neche, NESCA, and Cavalier trails closed but all others open with 10- to 20-inch base. Many ditch trails full of snow. North Nekoma Trail open from Langdon to Nekoma to Milton.
*Peace Garden (Bottineau and Rolette counties): All trails pen and in fair to good condition with 4- to 12-inch base.
*Red River North (Pembina and Walsh counties): Trails open and in good condition with 5- to 10-inch base.
*Red River South (Grand Forks and Walsh counties): 4- to 12-inch base with all trails open and in good condition.
*Sargent (Richland and Sargent counties): 4- to 10-inch base with all trails open.
*Sheyenne Valley (Barnes, Dickey, LaMoure, Ransom and Stutsman counties): 4- to 8-inch base with good conditions. All trails open except L-1, L-3, L-4 and O-2.
*Sno-Trails (Bottineau, McHenry, Renville, and Ward counties): 8- to 14-inch base with all trails except International Trail open.
*Southern Valley (Richland County): All trails open with 6- to 12-inch base, although Trail 1 closed from Colfax to Walcott. Good conditions.
Numbers to know:
*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.
