Dakota Recreation Report: Feb. 28, 2022

Outdoor notes:

*Check icehouses after last week’s warm spell so it’s not iced in and can be removed before the March 15 deadline.

*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.

Fishing:

*Devils Lake elevation, Feb. 22: 1,447.2 feet above mean sea level (MSL).

*Stump Lake elevation: 1,447.19 MSL.

*Lake Sakakawea elevation: 1,827.77 MSL; 15,100 cubic feet per second average (CFS) Garrison Dam daily releases.

*N.D. Game & Fish Dept. Dist. game wardens: No reports from Devils Lake or east-central area lakes. Lake Sakakawea ice conditions deteriorating so use caution.

*Devils Lake, Ed’s Bait Shop, Devils Lake: Overall success remains slow.

*Devils Lake, Lakeview Lodge, Minnewaukan: Fair walleye success, weather permitting, with wind blowing a lot of the snow on the lake.

*Devils Lake, West Bay Resort, Minnewaukan: Not many anglers but look for some pike success around the Minnewaukan Flats and Pelican Lake.

*Devils Lake, Woodland Resort, Devils Lake: Walleye and perch remain slow. Access deteriorated after recent weather fronts and storms.

*Foster County area lakes, Dry Dock, Carrington: Wind, snow, and cold temperatures limiting activity on area lakes.

*Jamestown Reservoir, Pioneer Bait & Tackle, Jamestown: Limited reports although Jamestown Reservoir producing a mix of walleye, perch, and crappie, weather permitting.

*Jamestown Reservoir, Sooper Stop, Jamestown: Continued activity on area lakes but reports remain limited.

*Lake Ashtabula, Ashtabula Crossing, Luverne: Limited activity although anglers can access the lake.

*Lake Ashtabula, Bayshore, Valley City: Continued fair to good for a mix of perch and walleye. Access is still acceptable with anglers driving over the frozen snow.

*Lake Sakakawea, Cenex Bait & Tackle, Garrison: Lake Audubon producing occasional nice walleye late in the evening or early morning using plain hook and minnow. Try pike spearing from Steinke or Douglas bays for some nice-sized fish on the east end of Lake Sakakawea.

*Lakes Audubon & Sakakawea, Hwy. 83 Lawn & Leisure, Garrison: Nice pike bite from the east end of Lake Sakakawea. Try Centennial, Steinke, or Douglas bays. Lake Audubon slow and spotty for walleye.

*Lake Sakakawea/Lake Audubon/Missouri River, Scott’s Bait and Tackle, Pick City: Use caution on Lake Sakakawea with warm weather potentially creating frozen slush pockets and poor ice in some areas. Limited reports. Missouri River remains quiet.

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

N.D. Parks & Recreation Dept. trails:

*Turtle River, Arvilla: Ungroomed trails open for hiking, snowshoeing, or fat tire biking. Sledding hill also open with snow cover. 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 powder, packed powder 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 ice and drifts.

*East-central Valley (Cass & Richland counties): 10- to 15-inch base with all trails open and in fair condition with ice and drifts.

*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.

*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 and in fair condition with 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 with drifts on trails.

*Sakakawea (McLean & Ward counties): 6- to 12-inch base with trails in poor fair condition with drifts, ice, and rough areas. Emmet Trail closed and Max Trail along U.S. Highway 83 also closed.

*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 with drifts.

*Sno-trails (Bottineau, McHenry, Renville, & Ward counties: 6- to 12-inch base. Trails open and in fair condition with ice and drifting in areas

*Southern Valley (Richland County): 12- to 16-inch base with trails open and in fair condition with drifts.

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: (701) 328-9921.