Dakota Recreation Report

Tournaments

- Friday and Saturday: Lake Sakakawea, Beulah Bay.

- Saturday: Lake Sakakawea, McKenzie Bay; Lake Audubon.

- July 31-Aug. 1: Lake Sakakawea, Indian Hills Resort.

Fishing

- Lake Sakakawea elevation, Wednesday: 1,850.5 feet above mean sea level; 14,000 cubic feet per second Garrison Dam average daily releases.

r North Dakota Game and Fish Department District Game Wardens: No fishing updates from southwestern area lakes or Lake Audubon. East end of Lake Sakakawea improving for walleye. Watch for floating logs and debris throughout parts of Lake Sakakawea due to high water and flooded timber. Be cautious along the shoreline when recreational boating to help reduce erosion and dock and slip damage. Missouri River is quiet for fishing activity.

- Beulah, Dakota Waters Resort, Lake Sakakawea: Continued fair to good for walleye with lots of activity. Try 14 to 18 feet using Lindy rigs with nightcrawlers or leeches. Also try spinners. Most activity is still farther west around Renner and Beaver Bays. Also try Red Boat Bay. Some nice-sized smallmouth bass taken along with northern pike.

- Bismarck, Dakota Tackle, Missouri River/area lakes: Lake Audubon continues fair to good for walleye and smallmouth bass. Best success on the Missouri River is north around Washburn or south round Porcupine. Lake Tschida remains fair for walleye.

- Dickinson, Andrus Outdoors, Lake Sakakawea/area lakes: McKenzie Bay on Lake Sakakawea fair to good for walleye in 6 to 18 feet using spinners and nightcrawlers. Skunk Bay producing fish in 18 to 25 feet using jigs or Lindy rigs and minnows. Try 15 to 18 feet using spinners and nightcrawlers around Beaver Bay. Van Hook Arm producing walleye in variety of depths from 8 to 22. Try Lindy rigs or spinners with nightcrawlers. Small area lakes getting weedy but some perch activity from shore at Indian Creek.

- Dickinson, Runnings Farm & Fleet, Lake Sakakawea/area lakes: Mel’s Marina and McKenzie Bay producing walleye using spinners with nightcrawlers in 10 to 25 feet on Lake Sakakawea, although somewhat slower success over the past weekend. Van Hook Arm fair for walleye using spinners or Lindy rigs and nightcrawlers or leeches. Try 10 to 18 feet. Try spinners with nightcrawlers in 10 feet on the Missouri River, working closer to the South Dakota border. Lake Tschida fair for walleye using spinners or Lindy rigs with nightcrawlers or leeches.

- Garrison, Indian Hills Resort, Lake Sakakawea: Fair but spotty walleye success. Try Lindy rigs with nightcrawlers or minnows with limited reports of success on leeches. More anglers finding fish along the north shore, including Pepsi Point, but continue working the south shore depending on wind.

- Glen Ullin, Fitterer’s Inc., Lake Tschida: Walleye activity slowed somewhat.

- Mandaree, McKenzie Bay Marina, Lake Sakakawea: More boat activity starting in the main lake with continued walleye success in the bay. Try spinners with nightcrawlers or leeches.

- Pick City, Scott’s Bait & Tackle, Lake Sakakawea/Missouri River: Lake Audubon remains fair to good for walleye and smallmouth bass. Try spinners with nightcrawlers or crankbaits. Lake Sakakawea producing walleye but success is inconsistent. Try spinners or Lindy rigs with nightcrawlers in the shallows or crankbaits as deep as 40 feet with good numbers of fish in the 28- to 40-foot range. Success slow on minnows. Also work the trees. A few anglers working for salmon but limited reports. Try 85 feet down over 120 feet of water. Missouri River remains slow to fair from boats. Best success is early in the morning or afternoon. Try cable crossing with nightcrawlers. Some success in the coal veins and stumps but chutes slowed. A few fish taken from shore at night. Good northern pike numbers.

- New Town, Van Hook Bait & Tackle, Lake Sakakawea: Fair to good for walleye. Try 12 to 15 feet in the trees in the north end of the Van Hook Arm. Also try islands and sunken islands out in the Arm in 18 to 22 feet. Most success is with spinners and Lindy rigs and nightcrawlers with some success on leeches.

- Ray, Lund’s Landing, Whitetail Bay, Lake Sakakawea: Continued walleye success using jigs or spinners and bottom bouncers with nightcrawlers or leeches. Move around with success throughout much of the general area.

- Watford City, Tobacco Garden Resort, Lake Sakakawea: Still somewhat scattered and spotty walleye success. Try variety of depths and presentations.

- Watford City, One-Stop, Lake Sakakawea: Fair to good for walleye around the Van Hook Arm, McKenzie Bay, and Tobacco Garden.

- White Earth, White Earth Bay Trading Post, Lake Sakakawea: Spotty and inconsistent walleye success. Try variety of presentations and move around.

- Williston, Scenic Sports, Lake Sakakawea/Missouri River: Walleye success slowed in the Van Hook Arm and areas west on Lake Sakakawea. Best reports are from the south shore across from Little Beaver Bay.

River report

- Bear Den Creek, Mandaree: Streamflow, 14 cfs; creek stage, 4.91 feet.

- Cannonball River, Regent: Streamflow, 5 cfs; river stage, 1.88 feet.

- Green River, New Hradec: Streamflow, 0.27 cfs; river stage, 5.94 feet.

- Heart River, Richardton: Streamflow, 34 cfs; river stage, 5.04 feet.

- Knife River, Manning: Streamflow, 1.8 cfs; river stage, 6.24 feet.

- Little Missouri, Marmath: Streamflow, 184 cfs; river stage, 2.06 feet.

- Little Missouri, Medora: Streamflow, 195 cfs; river stage, 2.53 feet.

- Little Missouri, Long X: Streamflow, 268 cfs; river stage, 0.84 feet.

- Missouri River, Stanton: River stage, 20.83 feet.

- Missouri River, Williston: River stage, 9.85 feet.

- Yellowstone River, Sidney, Mont.: Streamflow, 15,700 cfs; river stage, 7.23 feet.

Numbers

- North Dakota Game and Fish Department main Bismarck office: 701-328-6300; Web site, http://gf.nd.gov.

- North Dakota Game and Fish Department Dickinson office: 701-227-7431.

- Report poachers: 800-472-2121.

- U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Bismarck, website: www.fws.gov/northdakotafieldoffice.

Tags: dakota report, outdoors