Dakota Recreation Report

Outdoor notes

- Aug. 13: Blue Goose Day, Audubon National Wildlife Refuge, 5 p.m.

- Aug. 14-15: Roughrider Archery Tournament, Badlands Classic Hunter’s Warm-up, Medora. Call 701-290-3038 for more information.

- Aug. 18: Swan applications due.

Tournaments

- Saturday: Lake Sakakawea, White Earth Bay.

- Aug. 21: Lake Sakakawea, Sakakawea State Park; Lake Sakakawea, Indian Hills Resort.

Fishing

- Lake Sakakawea elevation, Wednesday: 1,850.9 feet above mean sea level; 16,000 cubic feet per second Garrison Dam average daily releases.

- North Dakota Game and Fish Department district game wardens: North Lemmon Lake remains fair to good trout with some bluegill and perch mixed. Lake Audubon fair for walleye and smallmouth bass. Lake Sakakawea fair for walleye with more anglers on the water. Try 20 feet on the outside of the vegetation using spinners and nightcrawlers. Missouri River slow in the Washburn area although producing some trout in the chutes. Reminder that lakes with no live bait restrictions also include not having live bait in possession while at that lake.

- Beulah, Dakota Waters Resort, Lake Sakakawea: Continued good for nice-sized walleye. Try Lindy rigs or spinners with nightcrawlers or leeches in 16 to 22 feet, depending on weather conditions. Most activity around Renner, Beaver, Nishu or Red Boat bays. A variety of other species also mixed in.

- Bismarck, Dakota Tackle, Missouri River/area lakes: Improving walleye success on the Missouri River around Fort Yates and areas south. No recent reports from Washburn-Wilton area. No reports from Lake Tschida or Lake Audubon.

- Dickinson, Andrus Outdoors, Lake Sakakawea/area lakes: McKenzie Bay on Lake Sakakawea remains good for walleye in 8 to 18 feet using spinners or Lindy rigs and nightcrawlers. Try Brown Springs or Scoria Flats. Van Hook Arm fair for walleye in 18 to 22 feet using Lindy rigs or spinners and minnows. South of New Town remains fair around Hunt’s Along in 16 to 24 feet using nightcrawlers. Camels Hump Dam getting weedy but still has some trout success. Heart River through Dickinson continues walleye and a few northern pike using minnows.

- Dickinson, Runnings Farm & Fleet, Lake Sakakawea/area lakes: Tobacco Garden on Lake Sakakawea producing walleye and sauger using Lindy rigs and minnows or leeches or spinners with nightcrawlers. McKenzie Bay good for walleye in 8 to 25 feet using Lindy rigs and minnows or spinners and nightcrawlers. Also try crankbaits. Try the beacon area. Lake Tschida fair for walleye using spinners and nightcrawlers.

- Garrison, Indian Hills Resort, Lake Sakakawea: Anglers continue finding nice walleye success. Try 16 feet using crankbaits or Lindy rigs working both sides of the lake. Good numbers of 2- to 3-pound walleye.

- Mandaree, McKenzie Bay Marina, Lake Sakakawea: Fair to good but spotty for walleye using spinners and nightcrawlers in the main lake as well as the bays.

- Pick City, Scott’s Bait & Tackle, Lake Sakakawea/Missouri River: Lake Sakakawea fair but inconsistent for walleye. Move around for best success and try variety of depths. Look for improved fishing with stable weather and warmer water temperatures. Try Government Bay for salmon in 75- to over 120- feet of water using flashers and squids. Also try herring. Fish are ranging from 6 to 12 pounds. Missouri River remains good for walleye with occasional trout and salmon in the chutes using three-way swivels in the morning and evening. Try jigs farther down river around the coal vein and stumps but success is slower. Not many reports from Lake Audubon.

- New Town, Van Hook Bait & Tackle, Lake Sakakawea: Good walleye activity working both the weeds and deeper water. Try Lindy rigs, jigs or spinners with nightcrawlers.

- Ray, Lund’s Landing, Whitetail Bay, Lake Sakakawea: Continued walleye success with some sauger and catfish mixed in. Try bottom bouncers with long snell and plug.

- Watford City, Tobacco Garden Resort, Lake Sakakawea: Improving walleye success using spinners with nightcrawlers or minnows. Some nice-sized catfish mixed in.

- Watford City, One-Stop, Lake Sakakawea: Continued walleye success with most activity on Lake Sakakawea around Tobacco Garden.

- White Earth, White Earth Bay Trading Post, Lake Sakakawea: Weather making inconsistent fishing success with locations varying with the wind and weather fronts. Try variety of presentations from floating jigs with nightcrawlers to crankbaits. Some bite with leeches and minnows, as well. Most fish are less than 2 pounds but some bigger ones mixed in.

- Williston, Scenic Sports, Lake Sakakawea/Missouri River: Continued good for walleye with best success in the morning and evening on Lake Sakakawea. Try 9 to 12 feet with spinners, jigs or crankbaits working White Earth Bay and Little Beaver Bay to the east. Fish are nice-sized.

River report

- Bear Den Creek, Mandaree: Streamflow, 114 cfs; creek stage, 4.93 feet.

- Cannonball River, Regent: Streamflow, 4.7 cfs; river stage, 1.86 feet.

- Green River, New Hradec: Streamflow, 1.4 cfs; river stage, 6.09 feet.

- Heart River, Richardton: Streamflow, 111 cfs; river stage, 5.82 feet.

- Knife River, Manning: Streamflow, 2.2 cfs; river stage, 6.3 feet.

- Little Missouri, Marmath: Streamflow, 117 cfs; river stage, 1.78 feet.

- Little Missouri, Medora: Streamflow, 178 cfs; river stage, 2.46 feet.

- Little Missouri, Long X: Streamflow, 462 cfs; river stage, 1.19 feet.

- Missouri River, Stanton: River stage, 20.8 feet.

- Missouri River, Williston: River stage, 9.88 feet.

- Yellowstone River, Sidney, Mont.: Streamflow, 9,790 cfs; river stage, 5.7 feet.

Numbers

- North Dakota Game and Fish Department main Bismarck office: 701-328-6300; website, 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