Dakota Recreation Report: March 6, 2023

Outdoor notes:

*Check on ice houses occasionally to make certain they haven’t iced in after warming weather.

*Be mindful of parking when accessing area lakes; not blocking roadways or snow removal operations.

*Reminder that it’s illegal to chase, harass, or pursue any wildlife species with motorized vehicle.

*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.

*March 11: Lonetree Rocky Mtn. Elk Foundation banquet, Harvey Eagles Club, 5 p.m.

*March 15: Permanent houses must be off area lakes but can be used if removed daily.

Tournaments:

*March 11: Big Mallard Marsh.

Fishing:

*Devils Lake elevation, Feb. 27: 1,449.48 feet above mean sea level (MSL).

*Stump Lake elevation: 1,449.33 MSL.

*Lake Sakakawea elevation: 1,826.81 MSL; 23,200 cubic feet per second average (CFS) Garrison Dam daily releases.

*N.D. Game & Fish Dept. Dist. game wardens: No reports from Devils Lake or east-central area lakes. Access deteriorated on Lake Audubon after late February snow. Limited activity throughout the Missouri River System.

*Devils Lake, Ed’s Bait Shop, Devils Lake: Generally fair to good activity.

*Devils Lake, Lakeview Lodge, Minnewaukan: Cold front slowed activity but look for improving success with stable weather. Anglers marking fish but they’re not biting as much as earlier.

*Devils Lake, West Bay Resort, Minnewaukan: Continued fair to good for walleye and pike on the Minnewaukan Flats.

*Devils Lake, Woodland Resort, Devils Lake: Generally fair to good walleye success with occasional slower day mixed in. Best perch activity remains in East Bay.

*Foster County area lakes, Dry Dock, Carrington: Most anglers continue heading to Devils Lake for perch and Jamestown Reservoir for crappie.

*Jamestown Reservoir, Pioneer Bait & Tackle, Jamestown: No new reports.

*Jamestown Reservoir, Sooper Stop, Jamestown: Bite slowed on area lakes. Minnows becoming harder to get, as well.

*Lake Ashtabula, The Hungry Pelican at the Crossing, Luverne: Minnows are hard to get now but angling activity continues with overall fair success.

*Lake Ashtabula, Bayshore, Valley City: Continued fair to good for perch but walleye and pike remains slow. Access remains OK.

*Lake Sakakawea, Cenex Bait & Tackle, Garrison: Hit-and-miss walleye success on Lake Audubon. Try working a variety of depths. Steinke and Centennial bays also hit-and-miss for walleye on the east end of Lake Sakakawea.

*Lakes Audubon & Sakakawea, Hwy. 83 Lawn & Leisure, Garrison: Slow walleye bite on the east end of Lake Sakakawea but pike anglers finding a few fish. No reports from Lake Audubon.

*Lake Sakakawea/Lake Audubon/Missouri River, Scott’s Bait and Tackle, Pick City: Limited activity on the Missouri River tailrace and Lake Sakakawea. Look for improving success with warmer, stable weather on the river and from the wing walls. No Lake Audubon reports.

*Lonetree WMA area lakes, Harvey: Access remains an issue on many area lakes. Those going out with tracked vehicles are finding hit-and-miss walleye success or generally overall slow.

Downhill skiing:

*Bottineau Winter Park, Bottineau: 36- to 40-inch base with good conditions. 2 Magic Carpets and 1 lift, 7 runs, and tubing and terrain parks open.

*Buena Vista Ski Resort, Bemidji, Minn .: All runs open with Terrain Park set up on Bear Track. Tubing Park open with passes available online.

*Huff Hills Ski Area, Mandan: 20- to 35-inch powder, packed powder base. All runs open along with 2 lifts, 1 tow, and Green Lift Terrain Park open. Donut Hole Hiking Area also open.

Snowmobile N.D.:

*Cattail (Barnes, Cass, Steele, & Traill counties): 16- to 20-inch base. Trails open and in fair condition. Watch for snow piles along approaches and road crossings.

*East Central Valley (Cass & Richland counties): 12- to 16-inch base. Trails open and in good condition. Watch for snow piles along approaches and road crossings.

*Lake Region (Nelson & Ramsey counties): 10- to 14-inch base. Trails open and in good condition. Watch for snow piles along approaches and road crossings.

*Missouri Valley (Emmons & Burleigh counties): 10- to 16-inch base. Trails open and in fair condition with icy base. Watch for icy conditions at times and snow piles along approaches and road crossings.

*North Central (Benson, McHenry, Pierce, Ramsey, & Towner counties): 6- to 10-inch base. Rush Lake trail closed but all other trails open and in fair condition.

*Northeast (Cavalier, Pembina, & Walsh counties): 8- to 12-inch base with trails open and in fair condition.

*Peace Garden (Bottineau & Rolette counties):12- to 16-inch base with all trails open and in good condition. Watch for frozen ruts on sloughs and lakes.

*Red River North (Walsh & Pembina counties): 12- to 16-inch base. Trails open and in fair condition. Watch for snow piles along approaches and road crossings.

*Red River South (Grand Forks & Walsh counties): 8- to 10-inch base. Trails open and in good condition. Watch for snow piles along approaches and road crossings.

*Sakakawea (McLean & Ward counties): 5- to 9-inch base. Trails open but in poor condition. Watch for snow piles along approaches and road crossings.

*Sargent County (Richland & Sargent counties): 10-inch base. Trails open. Watch for snow piles along approaches and road crossings.

*Sheyenne Valley (Barnes, Dickey, LaMoure, Ransom, & Stutsman counties): 16- to 25-inch base. Trails open and in fair to good condition. Watch for snow piles along approaches and road crossings.

*Sno-trails (Bottineau, McHenry, Renville, & Ward counties: 3- to 12-inch base. Trails open and in poor to fair condition.

*Southern Valley (Richland County): 10- to 20-inch base. Trails open and in fair condition. Watch for snow piles along approaches and road crossings.

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.