Dakota Recreation Report: March 7, 2022

Outdoor notes:

*Check icehouses with the 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.

*March 12: Spring crow season opens.

*March 12: Lonetree Rocky Mtn. Elk Foundation banquet, Harvey, 5:30 p.m.

*March 15: Ice houses must be removed from all state lakes and rivers but can be used if they’re removed daily.

Fishing:

*Devils Lake elevation, March 1: 1,447.21 feet above mean sea level (MSL).

*Stump Lake elevation: 1,447.19 MSL.

*Lake Sakakawea elevation: 1,827.76 MSL; 14,400 cubic feet per second average (CFS) Garrison Dam daily releases.

*N.D. Game & Fish Dept. Dist. game wardens: Devils Lake slow for walleye with scattered success throughout some areas of the lake. Try 6-Mile or Fort Totten bays. East-central area lakes slow with occasional walleye and perch on some scattered lakes. A few more walleye starting to show up in shallower waters on the east end of Lake Audubon but other area lakes remain quiet. No Lake Sakakawea reports.

*Devils Lake, Ed’s Bait Shop, Devils Lake: Try East Devils Lake or Creel Bay for improving perch success in 22 feet with wax worms.

*Devils Lake, West Bay Resort, Minnewaukan: Look for a few more walleye around the Minnewaukan Flats.

*Devils Lake, Woodland Resort, Devils Lake: Some walleye activity around sunup and sundown in about 10 to 15 feet. Try 20 to 25 feet for perch. Some activity but the best late season bite hasn’t started. Anglers can move around throughout most of the lake.

*Foster County area lakes, Dry Dock, Carrington: Some activity throughout area lakes.

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

*Jamestown Reservoir, Sooper Stop, Jamestown: Limited reports from Jamestown Reservoir but anglers continue going to smaller area lakes with fair success.

*Lake Ashtabula, Ashtabula Crossing, Luverne: No new reports.

*Lake Ashtabula, Bayshore, Valley City: Continued fair to good walleye and perch success with anglers continuing to be able to move around the lake.

*Lake Sakakawea, Cenex Bait & Tackle, Garrison: East end of Lake Sakakawea producing a little more pike success with a few more walleye showing up on Lake Audubon.

*Lakes Audubon & Sakakawea, Hwy. 83 Lawn & Leisure, Garrison: Pike on the move on the east end of Lake Sakakawea with improving success. Try Steinke, Centennial, or Douglas bays for with more numbers now showing up in Garrison Bay. Lake Audubon still slow on the west end by Totten Trail but occasional walleye on the east end.

*Lake Sakakawea/Lake Audubon/Missouri River, Scott’s Bait and Tackle, Pick City: Limited angler numbers on the Missouri River tailrace and success remains slow. East end of Lake Sakakawea remains slow with limited pike spearing success.

*Lonetree WMA area lakes, Harvey: Area lakes generally slow with poor access yet.

*Pipestem Reservoir, Sooper Stop, Jamestown: Fair pike success.

N.D. Parks & Recreation Dept. trails:

*Trails generally in poor to fair condition with ice.

Downhill skiing. Conditions can vary.

Contact for updates and days of operation:

*Big Sky Resort, Big Sky, Mont., (800) 548-4486: 27- to 48-inch base with 34 lifts and carpets and 274 trails open.

*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: Ski area closes March 13 for the season.

*Huff Hills Ski Area, Mandan, (701) 663-6421: 12- to 28-inch powder, packed powder base with 1 lift, 1 tow, and 8 runs open. Table tops and rail jump terrain features open on Green Lift area.

Numbers to know:

*N.D. Game and Fish Department, Devils Lake office: (701) 662-3617.

*Report All Poachers: (701) 328-9921.