Dakota Recreation Report: June 12, 2023

Outdoor notes:

*Registration available for June 20 Women’s Wing Shooting Clinic, Capital City Sporting Clays. Register at (pfqf.myeventscenter.com).

*June 24: Ducks Unlimited Fun Shoot, Capital City Sporting Clays, Bismarck, 1 p.m.

Tournaments:

*June 14: Red River, North Forks Landing.

*June 17: Devils Lake, Six-Mile Bay; Lake Sakakawea, Fort Stevenson State Park

*June 23: Devils Lake, Grahams Island State Park; Red River, North Forks Landing.

*June 24 & 25: Pipestem Reservoir, Parkhurst Landing.

Fishing:

*Devils Lake elevation, June 6: 1,450.68 feet above mean sea level (MSL).

*Stump Lake elevation: 1,450.56 MSL.

*Lake Sakakawea elevation: 1,833.61 MSL; 21,600 cubic feet per second average (CFS) Garrison Dam daily releases.

*N.D. Game and Fish Dept. Dist. game wardens: No reports from area lakes or Devils Lake. Lake Audubon quieted down with more anglers switching focus to Lake Sakakawea. Improving walleye activity in Steinke and Douglas bays but best success remains from Deepwater Bay to the west. Look for success to continue improving east as water temperatures warm.

*Devils Lake, Ed’s Bait Shop, Devils Lake: Devils Lake chain lakes remain fair to good for walleye with generally nice success throughout much of Devils Lake, including East Bay or west along the Minnewaukan Flats, including Howard’s Bay. Try pitching crankbaits.

*Devils Lake, Lakeview Lodge, Minnewaukan: Water temperatures warming quickly so look for a switch to summer fishing patterns soon. For now, though, it’s still spring mode in shallow with generally good success, especially in northern feeder bays.

*Devils Lake, West Bay Resort, Minnewaukan: Good walleye success throughout the Minnewaukan Flats and Pelican Lake Bay.

*Devils Lake, Woodland Resort, Devils Lake: Try slip bobbers or crankbaits around the north end of Creel Bay as well as Six-Mile Bay for walleye.

*Foster County area lakes, Dry Dock, Carrington: Increasing number of anglers on area lakes with somewhat improving success.

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

*Jamestown Reservoir, Sooper Stop, Jamestown: Jamestown Reservoir fair to good for a mix of walleye and pike using minnows or nightcrawlers. No reports from other area lakes.

*Lake Ashtabula, The Hungry Pelican at the Crossing, Luverne: No new reports but increasing activity on the lake.

*Lake Ashtabula, Bayshore, Valley City: Increasing angler numbers with improving success for a mix of bass and pike throughout much of the lake.

*Lake Sakakawea, Cenex Bait & Tackle, Garrison: Improving walleye activity on the east of Lake Sakakawea with nice fish showing up. Try a variety of presentations throughout a variety of depths with overall fair to good success. Not many reports from Lake Audubon with anglers focusing more on Lake Sakakawea.

*Lake Sakakawea, Indian Hills Resort, Garrison: Improving walleye activity with generally fair to good success, including several limits. Most anglers generally working around the resort.

*Lakes Audubon & Sakakawea, Hwy. 83 Lawn & Leisure, Garrison: East end of Lake Sakakawea improving for walleye. Try Steinke and Centennial bays in 5 to 10 feet using slow death hooks and bottom bouncers or jigs and minnows. Try leeches or nightcrawlers with slow hooks for walleye on Lake Audubon.

*Lake Sakakawea/Lake Audubon/Missouri River, Scott’s Bait and Tackle, Pick City: Missouri River tailrace starting to improve for walleye from boats. Not big numbers yet but those taken are nice. Try jigs and minnows or plastics with better success at night in the chutes. Some success continues from shore yet. East end of Lake Sakakawea also improving for walleye. Try casting jigs towards shore with some crankbait success in 10 to 20 feet. Better success seems to be along the north shore or south shore points. Shore success slow for walleye. Work rocky points for a mix of bass.

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

N.D. river data:

*James River, Kensal: River stage, 5.78 feet; streamflow, 444 CFS.

*Pipestem Creek, Pingree: Creek elevation, 5.64 feet; streamflow, 85.3 CFS.

*Red River, Thompson: River stage, 25.16 feet; streamflow, 5,760 CFS.

*Sheyenne River, Warwick: River stage, 4.05 feet; streamflow, 309 CFS.

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.