Dakota Recreation Report: Dec. 4, 2023

Outdoor notes:

*Current ice conditions on any lakes aren’t conducive for access. 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.

*Dec. 9: High Plains Duck season opens. Refer to N.D. Game and Fish Dept. regulations for open zone description.

*Dec. 16: East Canada Goose Zone season closes.

*Dec. 17: Muzzleloader deer season closes.

Fishing:

*Devils Lake elevation, Nov. 28: 1,449.22 feet above mean sea level (MSL).

*Stump Lake elevation: 1,449.21 MSL.

*Lake Sakakawea elevation: 1,838.98 MSL; 17,200 cubic feet per second average (CFS) Garrison Dam daily releases.

*N.D. Game and Fish Dept. Dist. game wardens: No activity on Devils Lake and east-central area lakes with just a few anglers fishing Lake Sakakawea’s midsection. Any ice on lakes remain unsafe yet.

*Devils Lake, Ed’s Bait Shop, Devils Lake: No new reports.

*Devils Lake, Woodland Resort, Devils Lake: Some back bays have skim of ice but no access and could become open with wind and changing temperatures.

*Foster County area lakes, Dry Dock, Carrington: No activity throughout area lakes.

*Jamestown Reservoir, Pioneer Bait & Tackle, Jamestown: No activity with anglers waiting for ice-over.

*Jamestown Reservoir, Sooper Stop, Jamestown: Non-existent activity.

*Lake Ashtabula, Bayshore, Valley City: Lake is largely iced over but completely unsafe for any access and could change rapidly depending on wind and weather.

*Lake Sakakawea, Cenex Bait & Tackle, Garrison: No new reports.

*Lakes Audubon and Sakakawea, Hwy. 83 Lawn & Leisure, Garrison: No reports from the east end of Lake Sakakawea but anglers continue working the midsection around the New Town area for walleye with fair success.

*Lake Sakakawea/Lake Audubon/Missouri River, Scott’s Bait and Tackle, Pick City: Try the spillway channel from boats in the afternoon and evening for walleye on the Missouri River using jigs and minnows. A few fish taken shore-fishing or from the wing walls. Overall limited angler numbers, though. Lake Sakakawea quiet.

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

Hunting:

*Deer: Late rut still lingering earlier in the week for muzzleloader season.

*Upland: Fair numbers remain in some areas.

*Waterfowl: A lot of ducks moved off Lake Sakakawea but Canada geese still lingering and scattered along the lake’s open water around the midsection and east end. Few birds remain in the northwest and they moved out of north-central N.D. Most Canada geese and diving ducks moved out of east-central N.D. with a few scattered birds on Devils Lake.

Numbers to know:

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

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