Dakota Recreation Report: December 5, 2022

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.

*Reminder that most roads and trails closed to hunting if posted on both sides.

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

*Dec. 10: High Plains Unit duck, coot, and merganser seasons open.

*Dec. 11: Muzzleloader deer season closes.

*Dec. 17: Canada Goose Eastern Zone season closes.

Fishing:

*Devils Lake elevation, Nov. 29: 1,449.24 feet above mean sea level (MSL).

*Stump Lake elevation: 1,449.2 MSL.

*Lake Sakakawea elevation: 1,832.24 MSL; 15,100 cubic feet per second average (CFS) Garrison Dam daily releases.

*N.D. Game & Fish Dept. Dist. game wardens: No reports from east-central area lakes, Devils Lake, or Lake Sakakawea. Occasional walleye at best from Lake Audubon back bays, including Nelson and 3-Mile bays, and Velva Point. Walking access only yet.

*Devils Lake, Ed’s Bait Shop, Devils Lake: Some walk-on activity on Lake Washington and north end of 6-Mile Bay. Ice depths vary so test depths and use caution.

*Devils Lake, Woodland Resort, Devils Lake: Little activity on Devils Lake yet as most anglers wait for better ice. Main lake iced over but no activity.

*Foster County area lakes, Dry Dock, Carrington: No activity yet but look for some walk-on activity with better ice conditions.

*Jamestown Reservoir, Sooper Stop, Jamestown: Some walk-on activity on area lakes but limited early season reports yet.

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

*Lake Sakakawea, Cenex Bait & Tackle, Garrison: Some walk-on activity on the east and north sides of Lake Audubon but use caution with variable ice, including along shorelines. No activity on Lake Sakakawea.

*Lakes Audubon & Sakakawea, Hwy. 83 Lawn & Leisure, Garrison: Lake Audubon iced over but no activity yet. Back bays of the east end of Lake Sakakawea have some ice but not walkable yet. Main bays and lake itself have open water.

*Lake Sakakawea/Lake Audubon/Missouri River, Scott’s Bait and Tackle, Pick City: Little to no activity on the Missouri River and back bays of Lake Sakakawea.

Hunting:

*Deer: A little late season rut activity lingering for late season muzzleloader and archery hunters.

*Pheasants: Birds remain in heavy cover and becoming flighty.

*Waterfowl: Good numbers of Canada geese remain along the open water along the east end of Lake Sakakawea. More birds moving onto the open water of the Missouri River, as well.

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.