Dakota Recreation Report: January 4, 2021

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.

*North Dakota state parks remain open with trails usable for hiking. Check with individual parks for other available amenities this winter.

*Lake Metigoshe State Park Wild Outdoor Women (WOW) registration now open. Go to (https://bit.ly/2021WinterWOWTickets) to register and (https://bit.ly/2021WinterWOWInfo) for more information and class descriptions for the Feb. 19 – 21 event.

Fishing:

*Devils Lake elevation, Dec. 28: 1,448.5 feet above mean sea level (MSL).

*Stump Lake elevation: 1,448.43 MSL.

*Lake Sakakawea elevation: 1,838.56 MSL; 15,900 cubic feet per second average (CFS) Garrison Dam daily releases.

*Devils Lake, Lakeview Lodge, Minnewaukan: Work 14 to 20 feet for a mix of walleye and perch.

*Devils Lake, West Bay Resort, Minnewaukan: Increasing activity with anglers now checking ice and venturing on Devils Lake. Look for a few walleye.

*Devils Lake, Woodland Resort, Devils Lake: Main Devils Lake is gaining ice with mixed walleye success. Ice conditions aren’t adequate enough yet for anglers to move around to locate perch. Also try Pelican or Mike’s lakes for more consistent activity.

*Foster County area lakes, Dry Dock, Carrington: Lots of activity on area lakes with fair to good success for small perch. Improving ice conditions but caution is still advised with variable ice.

*Jamestown Reservoir, Pioneer Bait & Tackle, Jamestown: Lots of activity throughout small area lakes with fair to good perch success. Looked for some walleye mixed in.

*Lake Ashtabula, Bayshore, Valley City: More anglers on the lake but ice conditions are variable so use caution. Anglers starting to move houses out with fair at best success. Look for small perch and walleye but most are generally non-keepers.

*Lake Sakakawea, Cenex Bait & Tackle, Garrison: Lake Audubon producing some walleye around Car Body, 6-Mile Bay, and Velva Point in a variety of depths. Ice is extremely variable, however, and watch for developing pressure ridges.

*Lake Sakakawea/Lake Audubon/Missouri River, Scott’s Bait and Tackle, Pick City: Missouri River tailrace remains quiet for anglers. Look for a night walleye bite from the rocks from shore casting crankbaits. No reports from the east end of Lake Sakakawea with back bays gaining ice but marginal access yet.

*Lonetree WMA area lakes, Harvey: Goose Lake fair for smaller perch with some keepers mixed in. Lots of activity on other central N.D. lakes with anglers moving portable houses out but limited reports so far.

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.