Dakota Recreation Report: Dec. 18, 2023

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.

*Dec. 21: West Canada Goose Zone closes.

*Dec. 25: Have a wonderful Christmas.

*Dec. 29: Missouri River Canada Goose Zone and light goose seasons closes.

Fishing:

*Devils Lake elevation, Dec. 12: 1,449.23 feet above mean sea level (MSL).

*Stump Lake elevation: 1,449.16 MSL.

*Lake Sakakawea elevation: 1,839.55 MSL; 17,200 cubic feet per second average (CFS) Garrison Dam daily releases.

*N.D. Game and Fish Dept. Dist. game wardens: No reports from Devils Lake or area lakes.

*Devils Lake, Ed’s Bait Shop, Devils Lake: Anglers walking off the Woods-Routen Road onto East Bay and finding some nice perch success. Use extreme caution when walking down off the rocks.

*Devils Lake, Woodland Resort, Devils Lake: Wind opened the main part of Devils Lake last week but some back bays are iced over with walk-on walleye activity around the norther feeder lakes and 6-Mile Bay on Devils Lake itself.

*Foster County area lakes, Dry Dock, Carrington: Some walk-on activity on area lakes but test ice depth along the way.

*Jamestown Reservoir, Pioneer Bait & Tackle, Jamestown: No reports from area lakes.

*Jamestown Reservoir, Sooper Stop, Jamestown: Smaller area lakes improving for perch with walk-on access recommended. Look for a mix of perch, walleye and pike from Pipestem Reservoir. No reports from Jamestown Reservoir with marginal ice. Use caution on all area lakes.

*Lake Ashtabula, Bayshore, Valley City: Main part of Lake Ashtabula remains open with no activity and dangerous ice along shorelines.

*Lake Sakakawea, Cenex Bait & Tackle, Garrison: Weather permitting a few anglers continue boat fishing for walleye around Deepwater Bay on Lake Sakakawea and west in the midsection. Some walk-on activity for walleye on the east end of Lake Audubon but ice conditions can vary. Use extreme caution, testing ice depth along the way; Try jigs and minnows.

*Lakes Audubon and Sakakawea, Hwy. 83 Lawn & Leisure, Garrison: No activity on the east end of Lake Sakakawea, including in any of the back bays with open water. Some walk-on activity on the east side of Lake Audubon for walleye but use extreme caution. Try the coal veins and stumps from boats on the Missouri River below the tailrace for walleye.

*Lake Sakakawea/Lake Audubon/Missouri River, Scott’s Bait and Tackle, Pick City: Missouri River producing small walleye during the day, boat access permitting off the ramp if it’s not iced in. Also try the chutes at night,0 but overall angler numbers are light. Lake Sakakawea quiet with open water.

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

Hunting:

*Predators: Snow cover improving predator hunting success.

*Upland: Pheasant numbers remain good in the northwest and along some areas in central and west-central N.D

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 and Fish Department, Jamestown office: (701) 253-6480.

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