Dakota Recreation Report for 06/04/09

Talk about it

By Patricia Stockdill

Tournaments

Saturday: Lake Audubon.

Sat. & Sun.: Lake Sakakawea, McKenzie Bay.

June 13: Sweetbriar Dam.

June 13 & 14: Lake Sakakawea, Indian Hills; Lake Sakakawea, Parshall Bay.

Fishing

Lake Sakakawea elevation:1,833.3 feet above mean sea level.

N.D. Game & Fish Dept. Dist. Game Wardens: Walleye activity slowed on the river below Lake Tschida. Lake Sakakawea starting to produce a few walleye at Douglas Bay with most activity from New Town to White Earth Bay to the west. Sheep Creek slow. Lake Audubon producing northern pike and bass with occasional walleye. Missouri River fair to good for walleye from the tailrace down to the border.

Beulah, Dakota Waters Resort, Lake Sakakawea: Try 7 to 15 feet for walleye using Lindy rigs with minnows around Little Soldier or Beaver bays. Also try nightcrawlers.

Bismarck, Dakota Tackle, Missouri River/Area Lakes: Missouri River remains fair around Bismarck-Mandan with increasing activity farther south.

Dickinson, Andrus Outdoors, Lake Sakakawea/Area Lakes: Lake Sakakawea producing walleye from Tunnel Point to Brown Springs in 7 to 15 feet using Lindy rigs and leeches. McKenzie Bay working east is slower. Try 6 to 25 feet using jigs or Lindy rigs with minnows. Try 25 feet at the slides. Tobacco Garden and White Earth Bay remains good for walleye using jigs or Lindy rigs in 10 to 15 feet. Skunk Bay working west continues producing sauger in 18 to 30 feet using minnows. Lake Tschida fair for walleye below the dam pitching jigs from shore with minnows. Lake itself remains slow. Camels Hump Dam fair for trout.

Dickinson, Runnings Farm & Fleet, Lake Sakakawea/Area Lakes: Good walleye reports from Tobacco Garden and White Earth Bay on Lake Sakakawea. The main lake is improving with continued reports from Bear Den. Hit-and-miss, inconsistent walleye success on Bowman-Haley Dam, Shadehill Dam, and Indian Creek. Heart River still producing some walleye from Gladstone to the mouth of the Missouri River. Missouri River fair to good for walleye from below the Heart River to the desert.

Garrison, Indian Hills Resort, Lake Sakakawea: Water starting to warm. Some small sauger success in the back bays with occasional walleye mixed in. Most activity is farther west but look for fish to become more active as water continues to warm.

Glen Ullin, Fitterer’s Inc., Lake Tschida: Lake Tschida slower for walleye with continued success below the dam.

Mandaree, McKenzie Bay Marina, Lake Sakakawea, McKenzie Bay: Occasional walleye with most success in the Little Missouri Arm itself. Work as shallow as 2 feet. There’s activity but anglers are having to work for their fish.

New Town, Van Hook Bait & Tackle, Lake Sakakawea: A few more walleye starting to show up in the Van Hook Arm. Work along the trees pitching jigs and minnows. Also try spinners and nightcrawlers. Continued northern pike shore-fishing success.

Pick City, Scott’s Bait & Tackle, Lake Sakakawea/Missouri River: Lake Sakakawea remains slow for walleye, likely due to cooler water temperatures yet. A few salmon still taken from the face of the dam. Try crankbaits. Missouri River continues producing walleye down river using jigs and minnows or nightcrawlers. Also try crankbaits. Some shore success for walleye from the rocks at night. Lake Audubon inconsistent for walleye.

Watford City, One-Stop, Lake Sakakawea: Most activity is moving farther down to White Earth Bay where water is clearer. Look for improving success around Tobacco Garden as water cleans.

Williston, Scenic Sports, Lake Sakakawea: Muddy water on Lake Sakakawea down to about Little Beaver Bay. Try variety of depths from 2 to 20 feet and move around but success generally remains fair on the upper end. Missouri and Yellowstone rivers are muddy. Blacktail Dam fair for northern pike.

Rivers report

Cannonball River, Regent gage: Streamflow, 14 cubic feet per second; river stage, 5.22 feet.

Green River, New Hradec gage: Streamflow, 0.91 cfs; river stage, 6.08 feet.

Heart River, Richardton gage: Streamflow, 34 cfs; river stage, 5.51 feet.

Little Missouri River, Marmath gage: Streamflow, 257 cfs; river stage, 2.21 feet.

Little Missouri River, Medora gage: Streamflow, 294 cfs; river stage, 3.01 feet.

Little Missouri River, Long X gage: Streamflow, 351 cfs; river stage, 2.10 feet.

Missouri River, Garrison Dam average daily discharge: 16,000 cfs.

Numbers to know

N.D. Game & Fish Dept. main Bismarck office: 701-328-6300; Web site http://gf.nd.gov.

N.D. Game & Fish Dept. Dickinson office: 701-227-7431.

Report All Poachers: 800-472-2121.

U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, Bismarck, Web site: http://mountain-prairie.fws.gov/north

dakotafieldoffice.

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