Official Newspaper of Eddy County since 1883
Outdoor notes:
*Release any fish caught deeper than 20 feet because they won’t survive coming up from deep water.
*Aug. 30: Deer and pronghorn (lottery license only) archery seasons open.
*Aug. 30: Mountain lion season opens.
Fishing:
*Devils Lake elevation, Aug. 12: 1,448.48 feet above mean sea level (MSL).
*Stump Lake elevation: 1,448.57 MSL.
*Lake Sakakawea elevation: 1,850.54 MSL; 46,700 cubic feet per second average (CFS) Garrison Dam daily releases.
*N.D. Game and Fish Dept. Dist. game wardens: Work holes in the Red River for catfish, staying in areas at least 25 to 30 minutes. Try frozen suckers or frogs but don’t neglect other baits. *Devils Lake, Ed’s Bait Shop, Devils Lake: Continued good for 10- to 14-inch walleye. Try 22 feet with spinners and bottom bouncers, but try other depths, as well, along the Golden Highway, Patience Point, Fort Totten, Birkland’s Point, East Bay Campground, Black Tiger Bay old roadbed, or East Devils Lake east shoreline. Also try slip bobbers or lead core in deeper water for larger fish. Work windy shorelines for white bass. Pike remain elusive.
*Devils Lake, Lakeview Lodge, Minnewaukan: Lots of small walleye. Work the weed beds for larger fish using a variety of presentations.
*Devils Lake, Woodland Resort, Devils Lake: Work 20 to 25 feet for walleye with lots of small fish yet. Try a variety of presentations but work to locate bigger fish in shallower waters. Also try jigging around the power poles or deeper water. Work the trees for pike. Move around to locate white bass.
*Foster County area lakes, Dry Dock, Carrington: Not much activity on area lakes, especially with weather fronts moving through.
*Jamestown Reservoir, Pioneer Bait and Tackle, Jamestown: Fair for a mix of species on Jamestown Reservoir. Continued activity throughout most smaller area lakes, as well.
*Jamestown Reservoir, Sooper Stop, Jamestown: Continued activity throughout area lakes with anglers still using leeches when available.
*Lake Ashtabula, Ashtabula Crossing, Luverne: Good bluegill success from shore using slip bobbers around the crossing. Some crappie success from boats using bottom bouncers. Occasional bluegill from boats, as well. Work from Sibley down to the dam for bluegill and crappie. Occasional walleye mixed in but generally slower. Look for better walleye success in the lake itself.
*Lake Ashtabula, Bayshore, Valley City: Continued fair to good panfish success with good bluegill numbers and decent perch. Good bass numbers, as well. Occasional walleye.
*Lake Sakakawea, Cenex Bait and Tackle, Garrison: Continued fair walleye success in 20 to 40 feet along main lake points on the east end of Lake Sakakawea. Try various presentations. Occasional salmon along the south shore but overall it’s still slow. Not much for Lake Audubon reports.
*Lake Sakakawea, Indian Hills Resort, Garrison: OK walleye success with the north shore and east of Indian Hills producing fish in 25 to 30 feet. Try slow death hooks and nightcrawlers It’s becoming more of a larger fish rather than quantity of fish bite.
*Lake Sakakawea/Lake Audubon/Missouri River, Scott’s Bait and Tackle, Pick City: Missouri River continues producing walleye from the spillway pond and channel. Try Lindy rigs or slow death hooks and nightcrawlers. Also try down river with crankbaits or Lindy rigs. Chutes producing a variety of fish with 3-way swivels. Also try pulling crankbaits or Lindy rigs upstream. Best bite from shore is from the rocks in the morning or evening casting crankbaits. Try live bait by the boat ramp. East end of Lake Sakakawea continues producing walleye in the morning. Move around to locate active fish during the day. Try 7 Sisters, Wolf Creek, Government or Douglas bays, or 3 bays west of Sakakawea State Park using Lindy rigs or slow death hooks with nightcrawlers. Salmon bite remains slow with anglers working from Government Bay north to Deadman’s Bay in 65 to 90 feet. Bite is still slow with no patterns yet, although anglers are finding some salmon.
*Lonetree WMA area lakes, Harvey: No new reports.
*Pipestem Reservoir, Pioneer Bait and Tackle, Jamestown: Little activity.
*Pipestem Reservoir, Sooper Stop, Jamestown: No new reports.
*Spiritwood Lake, Pioneer Bait and Tackle, Jamestown: Continued bass activity.
*Spiritwood Lake, Sooper Stop, Jamestown: Continued good for nice-sized bass.
N.D. rivers:
*James River, Kensal: River stage, 1.64 feet; streamflow, 9.66 CFS.
*Pembina River, Walhalla: River stage, 1.76 feet; streamflow, 44.2 CFS.
*Red River, Grand Forks, River stage, 21.2 feet; streamflow, 3,340 CFS.
*Sheyenne River, Warwick: River stage, 3.93 feet; streamflow, 270 CFS.
Hunting:
*Early Canada goose season: Fair local bird numbers in east-central N.D. but they won’t be feeding much in fields until crops are harvested. Good numbers of locals around the Devils Lake area, 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 and Fish Department, Jamestown office: (701) 253-6480.
*Report All Poachers: (800) 472-2121 or (701) 328-9921.