Dakota Recreation Report: Dec. 14, 2020

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.

*Darkhouse spearing open on lakes where it is allowed when ice conditions permit safe access.

*North Dakota state parks remain open with trails usable for hiking. Check with individual parks for other available amenities yet this fall, however.

*Dec. 19: Eastern N.D. Canada goose season closes.

*Dec. 24: Western N.D. Canada goose season closes.

Fishing:

*Devils Lake elevation, Dec. 7: 1,448.51feet above mean sea level (MSL).

*Stump Lake elevation: 1,448.47MSL.

*Lake Sakakawea elevation: 1,838.84 MSL; 16,300 cubic feet per second average (CFS) Garrison Dam daily releases.

*N.D. Game & Fish Dept. Dist. game wardens: Some walk-on activity on the north end of 6-Mile Bay on Devils Lake, Pelican Lake, and northern feeder lakes, including Lake Alice and Lake Irvine. Scattered walk-on activity on a few east-central area lakes but little to no success yet. No reports from the Missouri River System.

*Devils Lake, West Bay Resort, Minnewaukan: Ice conditions generally remain unsafe for access on Devils Lake.

*Devils Lake, Woodland Resort, Devils Lake: Some activity continues on northern feeder lakes such as Lake Irvine, Lake Alice, or Mike’s Lake. Pelican Lake starting to ice over but is unsafe yet. Some ice on the back end of Creel Bay but use extreme caution and test the ice when walking on.

*Foster County area lakes, Dry Dock, Carrington: Some activity on area lakes but no reports on success.

*Jamestown Reservoir, Sooper Stop, Jamestown: Some activity on area lakes but no reports yet.

*Lake Ashtabula, Ashtabula Crossing, Luverne: Fair perch and walleye success but limited fishing areas with walk-on access only. Use extreme caution.

*Lake Ashtabula, Bayshore, Valley City: No activity with anglers waiting for better ice on the main lake.

*Lake Sakakawea, Cenex Bait & Tackle, Garrison: East end of Lake Sakakawea slowed. Some walk-on activity on the east end of Lake Audubon but use extreme caution walking onto the ice.

*Lake Sakakawea/Lake Audubon/Missouri River, Scott’s Bait and Tackle, Pick City: Missouri River tailrace remains low with difficult access at times. Use caution and go slow when venturing on the water. OK walleye and pike success off the rocks from shore at night.

*Lonetree WMA area lakes, Harvey: Limited activity with anglers waiting for better ice conditions. Some anglers walking onto Clear Lake, however, but success is slow

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

Hunting:

*Deer: Still some active movement.

*Upland: Continued pheasant success working cattails but birds are becoming flighty.

*Waterfowl: Birds moved out of much of the state although good numbers of Canada geese and some mallards remain along the east end of Lake Sakakawea but geese are getting decoy-wise. Lots of Canada geese along the open water of the Missouri River. Geese coming off later in the morning and afternoon from the Missouri River tailrace.

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: (800) 472-2121 or (701) 328-9921.