Dakota Recreation Report: Feb. 20, 2023

Outdoor notes:

*Light goose conservation order now open.

*Check on ice houses occasionally to make certain they haven’t iced in after warming weather.

*Be mindful of parking when accessing area lakes; not blocking roadways or snow removal operations.

*Reminder that it’s illegal to chase, harass, or pursue any wildlife species with motorized vehicle.

*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.

*Feb. 28: Tree squirrel season closes.

*March 1: Lonetree Rocky Mtn. Elk Foundation banquet, Harvey Eagles Club, 5 p.m.

Tournaments:

*Feb. 24: Devils Lake, North Golden Lake.

*Feb. 25: Alkaline Lake, Fresh Lake, Goose Lake.

Fishing:

*Devils Lake elevation, Feb. 14: 1,449.42 feet above mean sea level (MSL).

*Stump Lake elevation: 1,449.31 MSL.

*Lake Sakakawea elevation: 1,826.78 MSL; 22,600 cubic feet per second average (CFS) Garrison Dam daily releases.

*N.D. Game & Fish Dept. Dist. game wardens: Lots of activity on Devils Lake with warm weather but overall spotty success. Better activity around the Minnewaukan Flats or East Devils Lake. East-central area lakes seeing a little more angling activity but success is somewhat slow. Travel on area lakes improved somewhat with warmer weather settling snow but not much activity other than anglers continue working Lake Audubon with some scattered walleye success. No reports from Lake Sakakawea.

*Devils Lake, Ed’s Bait Shop, Devils Lake: Most activity around East Bay for a mix of perch and walleye. Tracked vehicles needed, however. Creel Bay somewhat slow.

*Devils Lake, Lakeview Lodge, Minnewaukan: Somewhat slow for walleye but look for fair to good perch activity on sunny days. OK pike spearing success.

*Devils Lake, West Bay Resort, Minnewaukan: Improving walleye and perch activity with anglers working East Devils Lake or Pelican Lake.

*Devils Lake, Woodland Resort, Devils Lake: Continued fair walleye and perch success, including northern feeder lakes and East Bay and Devils Lake.

*Foster County area lakes, Dry Dock, Carrington: Increasing late season activity on area lakes.

*Jamestown Reservoir, Pioneer Bait & Tackle, Jamestown: Scattered activity throughout area lakes but limited reports.

*Jamestown Reservoir, Sooper Stop, Jamestown: No new reports.

*Lake Ashtabula, The Hungry Pelican at the Crossing, Luverne: Lots of anglers on the lake with continued fair to good success.

*Lake Ashtabula, Bayshore, Valley City: Good perch success with some crappie activity. Walleye and pike remain slow. Good access and mobility on and around the lake.

*Lake Sakakawea, Cenex Bait & Tackle, Garrison: Hit-and-miss walleye success on Lake Audubon. Try working a variety of depths. Steinke and Centennial bays also hit-and-miss for walleye on the east end of Lake Sakakawea with some perch activity.

*Lakes Audubon & Sakakawea, Hwy. 83 Lawn & Leisure, Garrison: Slow to fair walleye bite from Centennial and Steinke bays on the east end of Lake Sakakawea. Try 15 to 20 feet. Look for some pike spearing activity. Lake Audubon remains hit-and-miss for walleye with best success in deeper water. Just remember to keep those fish because they won’t survive coming up from deep water.

*Lake Sakakawea/Lake Audubon/Missouri River, Scott’s Bait and Tackle, Pick City: Better weather brought more anglers onto the Missouri River with improving walleye success. Beware with slumping shoreline conditions on Lake Sakakawea in some areas with dropping elevation.

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

Downhill skiing (conditions can vary):

*Bottineau Winter Park, Bottineau: 36-to-40-inch base with good conditions. 2 Magic Carpets and 1 lift, 7 runs, and tubing and terrain parks open.

*Buena Vista Ski Resort, Bemidji, Minn.: 12 runs open with Terrain Park set up on Bear Track. Tubing Park open with passes available online.

*Huff Hills Ski Area, Mandan: 20- to 35-inch loose granular, spring condition base. Antelope, Badger, & Cougar runs closed but all other runs open along with 1 lift, 2 tows, and Terrain Park open. Donut Hole Hiking Area open but beware of areas with thin ice. Access off Pheasant Run gate near the top of Blue Lift area.

Snowmobile N.D. (conditions can vary):

*Cattail (Barnes, Cass, Steele, & Traill counties): 16- to 20-inch base. Trails open and in good condition. Watch for snow piles along approaches and road crossings.

*East-central Valley (Cass & Richland counties): 12- to 16-inch base. Trails open and in good condition. Watch for snow piles along approaches and road crossings.

*Lake Region (Nelson & Ramsey counties): 10- to 14-inch base. Trails open. Watch for snow piles along approaches and road crossings.

*Missouri Valley (Emmons & Burleigh counties): 16- to 22-inch base. Trails open and in good condition. Watch for snow piles along approaches and road crossings.

*North-central (Benson, McHenry, Pierce, Ramsey, & Towner counties): 8- to 12-inch base. Rush Lake trail closed but all other trails open.

*Northeast (Cavalier, Pembina, & Walsh counties): 8- to 12-inch base with trails open and in fair condition.

*Peace Garden (Bottineau & Rolette counties):12- to 16-inch base with trails 2A and 2B closed. Other trails open but poor ice conditions on areas where slush is on top of thin ice.

*Red River North (Walsh & Pembina counties): 12- to 16-inch base. Trails open and in good condition. Watch for snow piles along approaches and road crossings.

*Red River South (Grand Forks & Walsh counties): 8- to 10-inch base. Trails open and in good condition. Watch for snow piles along approaches and road crossings.

*Sakakawea (McLean & Ward counties): 8- to 12-inch base. Trails open. Watch for snow piles along approaches and road crossings.

*Sargent County (Richland & Sargent counties): 10-inch base. Trails open. Watch for snow piles along approaches and road crossings.

*Sheyenne Valley (Barnes, Dickey, LaMoure, Ransom, & Stutsman counties): 16- to 25-inch base. Trails open and in good condition. Watch for snow piles along approaches and road crossings.

*Sno-trails (Bottineau, McHenry, Renville, & Ward counties: 8- to 15-inch base. Trails open and in good condition.

*Southern Valley (Richland County): 12- to 20-inch base. Trails open and in good condition. Watch for snow piles along approaches and road crossings

Numbers to know:

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

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