Dakota Recreation Report: Sept. 28, 2020

Outdoor notes:

*Be careful with waterfowl species and sex identification with so many brown, uncolored birds yet.

*Oct. 3: Tundra swan season opens.

*Oct. 3: Nonresident waterfowl season opens.

*Oct. 3-4: Youth pheasant season.

*Oct. 10: Pheasant and fall turkey seasons open.

*N.D. Dept. of Environmental Quality issued blue-green algae advisories for Antelope, Buffalo, Dry, Wood, South Golden, and Stump lakes, and Devils Lake.

Tournaments:

*Oct. 2-3: Lake Sakakawea, Indian Hills Resort.

Fishing:

*Devils Lake elevation, Sept. 22: 1,449.06 feet above mean sea level (MSL).

*Stump Lake elevation: 1,449.08 MSL.

*Lake Sakakawea elevation: 1,839.82 MSL; 13,700 cubic feet per second average (CFS) Garrison Dam daily releases.

*N.D. Game & Fish Dept. Dist. game wardens: Continued fair for small walleye on Devils Lake with fewer anglers on the water. East-central area lakes remain quiet. No reports from Lake Sakakawea.

*Devils Lake, Ed’s Bait Shop, Devils Lake: Try slip bobbers as water temperatures cool. Also try trolling crankbaits in shallow water or jigging Raps in deeper water around rock piles. Better bite is in the morning or evening. Also try morning or evening from shore.

*Devils Lake, Lakeview Lodge, Minnewaukan: Lake possibly turned over so it could be a few days for it to settle down. However, still look for small walleye. Work shallow in the weeds.

*Devils Lake, West Bay Resort, Minnewaukan: Look for mix of walleye in a variety of sizes. Try a variety of presentations and depths.

*Devils Lake, Woodland Resort, Devils Lake: Continued small walleye success. Try spinners and bottom bouncers with nightcrawlers or jigging around deep rock piles. Generally start in about 10 feet and work into deeper water.

*Jamestown Reservoir, Sooper Stop, Jamestown: Some activity on Lake Ashtabula, Alkaline Lake, and area rivers

*Lake Ashtabula, Ashtabula Crossing, Luverne: Nice crappie success along the dam in 20 to 30 feet. Try jigging Raps along the bridges for walleye. Also try large Mepps for 10-pound-plus pike. Bottom bouncers with nightcrawlers producing perch around the mouth of the creek in 8 to 12 feet.

*Lake Ashtabula, Bayshore, Valley City: Fewer anglers on the water but those going out continue finding nice panfish success with improving walleye success.

*Lake Sakakawea, Cenex Bait & Tackle, Garrison: Move around throughout the east end of Lake Sakakawea with scattered walleye activity. Try a variety of presentations and depths. Work deep on Lake Audubon for walleye.

*Lake Sakakawea, Indian Hills Resort, Garrison: Some anglers having walleye success using walking sinkers or bottom bouncers and nightcrawlers. Work slow with light bite.

*Lake Sakakawea/Lake Audubon/Missouri River, Scott’s Bait and Tackle, Pick City: Missouri River tailrace remains slow for walleye during the day from both boat and shore. Some salmon success during the day from shore and boats. Try variety of presentations. Some nice-sized trout and salmon but not large numbers. Look for ongoing night bite for walleye. Fair to good for catfish from shore and boats. Wing walls slow but look for some catfish activity. Lake Sakakawea remains slow for walleye with fish scattered. Work 35 feet, trolling to locate fish along points. Also try shallower water with jigs and minnows or Lindy rigs and nightcrawlers. Look for improving minnow success with cooler water temperatures. Salmon scattered in variety of depths ranging from shore to deeper water. Try longlining working out to downriggers.

*Lake Sakakawea/northwest N.D. lakes, Scenic Sports, Williston: Missouri River remains decent for walleye.

Hunting:

*Waterfowl: Good numbers of local ducks in some pockets of concentrated wetlands in east-central N.D. Good wetland conditions throughout much of Barnes and Stutsman counties. Good local duck and Canada goose numbers in the Devils Lake and Lonetree WMA areas. Some local Canada geese in McHenry County but wetlands are drying with few ducks in the area. Little to no migration yet in the area.

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.