Dakota Recreation Report: Oct. 11, 2022

Outdoor notes:

*Check all PLOTS signage before driving on with vehicles when waterfowl hunting to ensure landowner allows vehicles.

*Hunters reminded to put identification on tree stands and blinds when set up on N.D. Game & Fish Dept. WMAs.

*Waterfowl hunters reminded to follow ANS regulations when hunting from boats.

*Applications such as Onyx now have updated electronic posting information for the 2022 hunting season.

*Oct. 13: Devils Lake Ducks Unlimited banquet, KC Club, 5:30 p.m.

Fishing:

*Devils Lake elevation, Oct. 4: 1,449.6 feet above mean sea level (MSL).

*Stump Lake elevation: 1,449.5 MSL.

*Lake Sakakawea elevation: 1,834.09 MSL; 14,300 cubic feet per second average (CFS) Garrison Dam daily releases.

*N.D. Game & Fish Dept. Dist. game wardens: Little activity throughout area lakes.

*Devils Lake, Ed’s Bait Shop, Devils Lake: Continued walleye activity on the north end of Creel and 6-Mile bays. Also try jigging along the rock piles and bridges.

*Devils Lake, Lakeview Lodge, Minnewaukan: Lighter fishing pressure with good numbers of small walleye. Work structure and move around to locate larger fish.

*Devils Lake, West Bay Resort, Minnewaukan: Fair to good walleye success with larger fish starting to show up.

*Devils Lake, Woodland Resort, Devils Lake: Fewer anglers out but those going are working jigging Raps along the bridges for walleye. Also try bottom bouncers.

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

*Jamestown Reservoir, Sooper Stop, Jamestown: Some activity on area lakes with better success using nightcrawlers yet.

*Lake Ashtabula, The Hungry Pelican at the Crossing, Luverne: Fair success for a mix of crappie and perch using nightcrawlers or minnows with some bullheads. *Lake Ashtabula, Bayshore, Valley City: Little activity.

*Lake Sakakawea, Cenex Bait & Tackle, Garrison: Not much activity on the east end of Lake Sakakawea. Look for some potential longlining salmon activity from shore along the south side in the bays by Garrison Dam.

*Lakes Audubon & Sakakawea, Hwy. 83 Lawn & Leisure, Garrison: Try 4 to 8 feet for walleye on Lake Audubon using jigging Raps and minnows with overall good success. Look for lower water elevations with the annual of the lake, transferring into Lake Sakakawea. Try around the pumping station on the east end embankment of Lake Sakakawea for walleye once water starts moving through.

*Lake Sakakawea/Lake Audubon/Missouri River, Scott’s Bait and Tackle, Pick City: Catfish night bite continues in the Missouri River tailrace with a few walleye mixed but limited trout and salmon activity. Spillway channel inlet producing a little walleye success during the day. Slow salmon success from shore on Lake Sakakawea but the fish are moving in and stacking up, especially along Pochant, Government, and Scoria bays. Look for an improving bite with cooling air temperatures. Try live bait in 50 feet for walleye on the east end of Sakakawea. Also try farther west by Beulah Bay.

*Lonetree WMA area lakes, Harvey: Little activity throughout area lakes.

Hunting:

*Pheasants: Lots of birds aren’t fully colored yet so be sure to ID properly before shooting. Look for nice pheasant numbers in the northwest and west-central parts of the state. Fair numbers around the midsection of Lake Sakakawea.

*Waterfowl: Fair waterfowl numbers depending on water conditions. Lots of hunting activity around east-central areas of the state. Little influx of migrating waterfowl across most of the state, including around the Lonetree WMA but some local birds remain in the area. Nice numbers of wood ducks and teal around Devils Lake but birds will move out with colder weather. Fair local waterfowl numbers around the east end of the Missouri River System. Not much waterfowl movement across North-central N.D. yet, either.

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: (701) 328-9921