Dakota Recreation Report: Sept. 16, 2019

Outdoor notes:

*Beware of blue-green algae, watching for discoloration on lakes and wetlands. Stay out of the water, wash equipment and keep dogs away.

*Release any fish caught deeper than 20 feet because they won’t survive coming up from deep water.

*Reminder: It’s illegal to hunt waterfowl from a moving watercraft.

*Mark tree stands and trail cams with identification when placed on N.D. Game & Fish Wildlife Mgmt. Areas.

*Sept. 20: East Zone Early Canada goose season closes.

*Sept. 21: Resident waterfowl season opens.

*Sept. 22: Youth deer season closes.

*Sept. 26: Valley city Ducks Unlimited banquet, Valley City Eagles Club, 5:30 p.m.

Fishing:

*Devils Lake elevation, Sept. 9: 1,448.12 feet above mean sea level (MSL).

*Stump Lake elevation: 1,448.21 MSL.

*Lake Sakakawea elevation: 1,847.08 MSL; 46,600 cubic feet per second average (CFS) Garrison Dam daily releases.

*N.D. Game and Fish Dept. Dist. game wardens: No reports from east-central area lakes, Devils Lake. East end of Lake Sakakawea producing occasional walleye. Work deep. Look for catfish in deeper mid-river holes along outside bends of the Red River. Using frozen suckers or frogs. Once locating an area, anglers tend to get a couple of catfish.

*Devils Lake, Ed’s Bait Shop, Devils Lake: Weather pattern slowing success, especially for larger fish. Continue using spinners and bottom bouncers but sort through fish for keepers. Try leeches, if available. Work old roadbeds, flooded timber and rocky structure in 25 feet and as deep as 40 to 50 feet. A few more pike showing up, however.

*Devils Lake, Lakeview Lodge, Minnewaukan: Continued small walleye success. Try working shallower in 8 to 10 feet around structure.

*Devils Lake, Woodland Resort, Devils Lake: Continued small walleye success using spinners and bottom bouncers with minnows or nightcrawlers. Work along the highways in 20 to 30 feet. White bass mixed in with walleye but pike remain elusive.

*Foster County area lakes, Dry Dock, Carrington: Little activity due to weather.

*Jamestown Reservoir, Pioneer Bait & Tackle, Jamestown: No new reports from area lakes.

*Jamestown Reservoir, Sooper Stop, Jamestown: Weather slowing activity throughout area lakes.

*Lake Ashtabula, Ashtabula Crossing, Luverne: Weather permitting, continued walleye success off channel edges in 20 to 22 feet. Some perch activity off the docks in shallow water. Try morning and evening hours for bass from boats.

*Lake Ashtabula, Bayshore, Valley City: Cool, wet weather limiting activity.

*Lake Sakakawea, Cenex Bait & Tackle, Garrison: Limited activity with wet and rainy weather.

*Lake Sakakawea, Indian Hills Resort, Garrison: Try working the south shore for walleye using minnows in 40 feet.

*Lake Sakakawea/Lake Audubon/Missouri River, Scott’s Bait and Tackle, Pick City: Missouri River continues producing walleye, weather permitting. Try spillway channel but success is hit-and-miss using Lindy rigs, crankbaits, or slow death hooks. Chutes remain fair for walleye and catfish. Try 3-way swivels or crankbaits. Lake Sakakawea spotty for walleye. Work a variety of depths. Try jigging Raps in deep water or bottom bouncers. Inconsistent salmon success. Try 30 feet with deep-diving crankbaits or longlining with downriggers. Also work deep in 100 feet with downriggers. Try flashers and squids, flies, or herring.

*Lonetree WMA area lakes, Harvey: No new reports.

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

*Pipestem Reservoir, Sooper Stop, Jamestown: Quiet.

*Spiritwood Lake, Pioneer Bait and Tackle, Jamestown: Look for continued fair bass success.

*Spiritwood Lake, Sooper Stop, Jamestown: Weather permitting, anglers continue finding good bass success.

Hunting:

*Archery deer: Early season hunters seeing better deer numbers already.

*Doves: Look for birds to start bunching and moving out if cool weather persists.

*Grouse: Look for improving bird numbers along a line east of the Missouri River.

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.