Dakota Recreation Report: March 22, 2021

Outdoor notes:

*Use extreme caution with deteriorating shorelines and ice conditions, especially around areas with flowing water, bridges, and culverts.

*March 24: Elk, moose, and bighorn sheep applications due.

*April 1: New hunting, fishing, and trapping licenses needed for the 2021 season.

Fishing:

*Devils Lake elevation, March 16: 1,448.55 feet above mean sea level (MSL).

*Stump Lake elevation: 1,448.43 feet above MSL.

*Lake Sakakawea elevation: 1,836.8 feet above MSL; 18,700 cubic feet per second average (CFS) Garrison Dam daily releases.

*N.D. Game & Fish Dept. Dist. game wardens: Anglers advised to stay off lakes throughout N.D. Lakes have deteriorating ice conditions.

*Devils Lake, Ed’s Bait Shop, Devils Lake: Anglers generally waiting for open water activity with deteriorating ice.

*Devils Lake, Lakeview Lodge, Minnewaukan: Use extreme caution when accessing Devils Lake with walk-on access only recommended. Try buckshot rattlers for walleye with generally fair success.

*Devils Lake, Woodland Resort, Devils Lake: A few anglers still walking onto Devils Lake back bays with limited reports. Use extreme caution, however. Look for shore-fishing opportunities in the coming weeks.

*Foster County area lakes, Dry Dock, Carrington: Limited activity with poor shoreline ice conditions.

*Jamestown Reservoir, Sooper Stop, Jamestown: Anglers staying off the ice with poor conditions, waiting for open water shore-fishing for pike.

*Lake Ashtabula, Ashtabula Crossing, Luverne: Beware of deteriorating ice and shoreline conditions with walk-on access only. Look for some perch, crappie, and pike activity. Generally, anglers waiting as fishing transitions to open water.

*Lake Ashtabula, Bayshore, Valley City: Continued fair to good success for a mix of panfish, but walk-on access only recommended. Some open-water walleye success around the bridges and along open water shorelines.

*Lake Sakakawea, Cenex Bait & Tackle, Garrison: Poor shoreline ice along Lake Sakakawea. No reports from Lake Audubon.

*Lake Sakakawea/Lake Audubon/Missouri River, Scott’s Bait and Tackle, Pick City: Lots of boat activity on the Missouri River tailrace, but limited walleye success; a case of quality more so than quantity. Some catfish mixed in.

*Lonetree WMA area lakes, Harvey: No activity, with poor ice conditions throughout area lakes.

*Pipestem Reservoir, Sooper Stop, Jamestown: No reports.

*Spiritwood Lake, Sooper Stop, Jamestown: No reports

N.D. Parks & Recreation Dept. trails

(conditions can vary):

*North Dakota state parks remain open with trails usable for hiking. Check with individual parks for other available amenities for the coming spring. New park passes are now available.

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.