Dakota Recreation Report: September 26, 2022

Outdoor notes:

 *Hunters reminded to put identification on tree stands and blinds when set up on N.D. Game & Fish Dept. WMAs.

 *Applications such as Onyx now have updated electronic posting information for the 2022 hunting season.

 *Sept. 29: Valley City Ducks Unlimited banquet, Valley City Eagles Club, 5:30 p.m.

 *Oct. 1: Nonresident waterfowl season opens.

 *Oct. 1 & 2: Youth pheasant season.

 *Oct. 6: Finley Fire & Ice Ducks Unlimited, Rumors Tavern, Finley, 5 p.m.

 *Oct. 8: Fall Luminary Walk, Turtle River State Park, Arvilla.

 *Oct. 8: Pheasant and fall turkey seasons open.

Fishing:

 *Devils Lake elevation, Sept. 20: 1,449.87 feet above mean sea level (MSL).

 *Stump Lake elevation: 1,449.78 MSL.

 *Lake Sakakawea elevation: 1,834.23 MSL; 13,900 cubic feet per second average (CFS) Garrison Dam daily releases.

 *N.D. Game & Fish Dept. Dist. game wardens: No Devils Lake, east-central area lake, or Missouri River System reports.

 *Devils Lake, Ed’s Bait Shop, Devils Lake: Continued fair to good for walleye with main Devils Lake starting to turn. Switch to minnows.

 *Devils Lake, Lakeview Lodge, Minnewaukan: Fewer anglers on the water but some larger walleye are starting to show up. Work structure and rock piles, including the Towers.

 *Devils Lake, West Bay Resort, Minnewaukan: Fair to good success for 15- to 16-inch walleye.

 *Devils Lake, Woodland Resort, Devils Lake: Continued fair to good for small walleye using spinners and bottom bouncers. Move around working 10 feet and deeper. Also try jigging around the rock piles around towers and bridges.

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

 *Jamestown Reservoir, Pioneer Bait & Tackle, Jamestown: Area lakes quiet.

 *Jamestown Reservoir, Sooper Stop, Jamestown: Not much activity on area lakes.

 *Lake Ashtabula, The Hungry Pelican at the Crossing, Luverne: No new reports.

 *Lake Ashtabula, Bayshore, Valley City: No reports.

 *Lake Sakakawea, Cenex Bait & Tackle, Garrison: Not many anglers on the east end of Lake Sakakawea but continue working deep water for walleye. Salmon slowed.

 *Lake Sakakawea, Indian Hills Resort, Garrison: Bait shop closed but access still available.

 *Lakes Audubon & Sakakawea, Hwy. 83 Lawn & Leisure, Garrison: Lake Sakakawea still has a deep water walleye activity on the east end. Try Lindy rigs and bottom bouncers. Try morning hours for salmon. Work 30 to 40 feet on Lake Audubon for walleye, as well. Continued good smallmouth success.

 *Lake Sakakawea/Lake Audubon/Missouri River, Scott’s Bait and Tackle, Pick City: Missouri River tailrace remains slow to fair during the day for walleye with good catfish success. Fair evening walleye bite with a mix of occasional trout and salmon and OK walleye success. Lake Sakakawea remains fair for walleye in 50 feet using a mix of nightcrawlers and minnows. Work points and move around. Salmon remain throughout the water column from shallow depths in the bays to deep water around 100 feet. Try a variety of presentations from shore or downrigging in deep water. Overall success slowed from last week.

 *Lonetree WMA area lakes, Harvey: Not much activity on area lakes.

Hunting:

 *Deer: Some early season archery success with more movement around the last half hour before sunset.

 *Doves: Birds still remain in the area and are bunching with cooler weather. Look for them to move as cool weather persists.

 *Upland: Some pockets of grouse but hunters generally finding more partridge than sharptails.

 *Waterfowl: Fair duck numbers around Devils Lake with larger wetlands still holding water. North-central N.D. wetlands generally in nice condition yet for holding water but limited crane numbers yet and not many local Canada geese. Wetlands around the midsection of Lake Sakakawea are drying, however, with limited numbers of local waterfowl.

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.