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 and don’t move around at night.
*Remember to keep fish caught in 25 feet and deeper; they rarely survive coming up from deep depths.
*Light goose conservation order hunting season now open.
*Feb. 25 – 27: N.D. Taxidermy Assoc. Show, Ramkota Inn, Bismarck.
*Feb. 28: Tree squirrel season closes.
Tournaments:
*Feb. 26: Alkaline Lake.
Fishing:
*Devils Lake elevation, Feb. 15: 1,447.21 feet above mean sea level (MSL).
*Stump Lake elevation: 1,447.19 MSL.
*Lake Sakakawea elevation: 1,827.77 MSL; 16,000 cubic feet per second average (CFS) Garrison Dam daily releases.
*N.D. Game & Fish Dept. Dist. game wardens: East end of Lake Sakakawea remains slow. Access and moving around on area lakes is generally improving as snow settles. No reports from Devils Lake or east-central area lakes.
*Devils Lake, Ed’s Bait Shop, Devils Lake: No new reports.
*Devils Lake, Lakeview Lodge, Minnewaukan: Devils Lake generally remains slow for walleye.
*Devils Lake, West Bay Resort, Minnewaukan: Still generally slow for walleye.
*Devils Lake, Woodland Resort, Devils Lake: Generally slow and scattered walleye and perch success.
*Foster County area lakes, Dry Dock, Carrington: Warm weather helping settle snow on ice, improving access and mobility on area lakes. Continued fair activity and success.
*Jamestown Reservoir, Pioneer Bait & Tackle, Jamestown: No new reports.
*Jamestown Reservoir, Sooper Stop, Jamestown: Access improving throughout area lakes with snow settling to allow anglers to move around better. Lots of activity with fair success.
*Lake Ashtabula, Ashtabula Crossing, Luverne: Easier access and moving around on the lake is continuing to bring some anglers out. Mixed but inconsistent success for perch and walleye.
*Lake Ashtabula, Bayshore, Valley City: Continued good success with ongoing walleye activity and perch mixed in. Work suspended over the bottom for some nice-sized crappie. Overall access improving around Bayshore with anglers able to access off the ramp and move around throughout the lake as snow settles.
*Lake Sakakawea, Cenex Bait & Tackle, Garrison: Not many reports from the east end of the Lake Sakakawea but some anglers are finding occasional walleye from Douglas and Steinke bays. Lots of anglers on the west end of Lake Audubon with good access of the Totten Trail boat ramp. Spotty walleye success, however.
*Lakes Audubon & Sakakawea, Hwy. 83 Lawn & Leisure, Garrison: Somewhat improving pike success on the east end of Lake Sakakawea. Walleye remain slow. Weather permitting, look for occasional walleye from the Missouri River tailrace. Lake Audubon slow and spotty for walleye.
*Lake Sakakawea/Lake Audubon/Missouri River, Scott’s Bait and Tackle, Pick City: Better walleye success on the east end of Lake Sakakawea is around Beulah and Beaver bays. Overall success slow remains slow on both Lake Sakakawea and Lake Audubon, however. No Missouri River tailrace reports.
N.D. Parks & Recreation Dept. trails:
*Grahams Island, Devils Lake: Trails icy.
*Turtle River, Arvilla: Trails open for hiking, snowshoeing, or fat tire biking. While trails were groomed, they’re in fair condition and icy and hard, making it more difficult to groom. Sledding hill also open and icy. Warming house open daily, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Downhill skiing. Conditions can vary. Contact for updates and days of operation:
*Bottineau Winter Park, Bottineau, (701) 263-4556: 18-inch base with 1 chair, 2 magic carpets, 4 runs, and all tubing runs open. Terrain Park closed.
*Buena Vista Ski Area, Bemidji, Minn., (218) 843-2231: 24- to 48-inch machine groomed base. 14 runs open with terrain features available on Snowflake.
*Frostfire Ski Area, Walhalla, (701) 549-3600: Trails open Saturdays and Sundays. Season closes March 13.
*Huff Hills Ski Area, Mandan, (701) 663-6421: 12- to 28-inch machine groomed base with 2 lifts, 1 tow, and 8 runs open. Table tops and rail jump terrain features open on Green Lift area.
Snowmobile N.D. (conditions can vary):
*Cattail (Barnes, Cass, Steele, & Traill counties): 5- to 12-inch base. West trail closed due to lack of snow. East trail in fair condition with some ice and drifts.
*East-central Valley (Cass & Richland counties): 10- to 15-inch base with all trails open and in fair condition.
*Lake Region (Nelson & Ramsey counties): Trails open with 12- to 20-inch base. Fair condition with drifting.
*Missouri Valley (Emmons & Burleigh counties): Entire trail closed due to lack of snow with water and ice in ditches.
*North-central (Benson, McHenry, Pierce, Ramsey, & Towner counties): Trails open with 12- to 20-inch base. Fair condition with some drifting.
*Northeast (Cavalier, Pembina, & Walsh counties): 15- to 23-inch base. Trails open with exception of portions of Sandhills trail. Trails in fair condition with some drifts.
*Peace Garden (Bottineau & Rolette counties): 16- to 22-inch base. Trails 7A & 7B closed for the season. Beware of frozen slush ruts.
*Red River North (Walsh & Pembina counties): 12- to 16-inch base. Trails open and in fair condition with some drifting.
*Red River South (Grand Forks & Walsh counties): 12- to 20-inch base with all trails open. Some drifts on trails.
*Sakakawea (McLean & Ward counties): 6- to 12-inch base with trails open and in fair condition but many drifts, some ice and rough areas.
*Sargent County trail closed for the season.
*Sheyenne Valley (Barnes, Dickey, LaMoure, Ransom, & Stutsman counties): 12- to 16-inch base. Trails open and in fair condition.
*Sno-trails (Bottineau, McHenry, Renville, & Ward counties: 6- to 12-inch base. Trails open and in fair condition. Some drifting in areas
*Southern Valley (Richland County): 12- to 16-inch base with trails open and in fair condition with some drifts.
Numbers to know:
*N.D. Game and Fish Department, main Bismarck office: (701) 328-6300, website: (http://gf.nd.gov).
*Report All Poachers: (701) 328-9921.