Dakota Recreation Report

Outdoor notes

- Saturday: Dove season closes.

- Monday: Woodcock season closes.

- Nov. 5: Deer gun season opens.

Fishing

- Lake Sakakawea elevation Wednesday: 1,846.7 feet above mean sea level; 30,000 cubic feet per second Garrison Dam average daily releases.

- North Dakota Game and Fish Department district game wardens: Lake Sakakawea, Lake Audubon, and Missouri River slow for activity.

- Bismarck, Dakota Tackle, Missouri River/area lakes: Weather permitting, most Missouri River activity remains around Hazelton and Fort Rice. Try jigs and minnows or spinners and nightcrawlers or crankbaits in a variety of depths. Steady success in the tailrace at night. No salmon reports from Lake Sakakawea.

- Dickinson, Andrus Outdoors, Lake Sakakawea/area lakes: Limited activity on Lake Sakakawea and area lakes. Missouri River tailrace fair to good for walleye from shore at night using Husky Jerks.

- Dickinson, Runnings Farm & Fleet, Lake Sakakawea/area lakes: Limited reports.

- Glen Ullin, Fitterer’s Inc., Lake Tschida: Weather permitting some angling activity on Lake Tschida with fair walleye success.

- Mandan, Southside MVP, Missouri River/area lakes: Missouri River remains fair to good for walleye, weather permitting, with most activity farther south around Hazelton. Success is still inconsistent, however, so move around quite a bit.

- Pick City, Scott’s Bait & Tackle, Lake Sakakawea/Missouri River: Limited activity on Lake Sakakawea although a few salmon anglers from shore were out with slow success. Missouri River mediocre during the day from boat. Try down river with live bait. Chutes remain OK at night from shore or boat with crankbaits. Look for that to continue as fall progresses

- New Town, Van Hook Bait & Tackle, Lake Sakakawea: Weather permitting, Shell Village producing some sauger in 30 to 50 feet on Lake Sakakawea.

- Watford City, Tobacco Garden Resort, Lake Sakakawea: Generally quiet even before the weather front came through.

- Watford City, One-Stop, Lake Sakakawea: Not much fishing activity.

- Williston, Scenic Sports, Lake Sakakawea/Missouri River: Missouri River good for walleye and sauger prior to weather change. Try jigs, Lindy rigs or crankbaits. No reports from Lake Sakakawea.

Hunting

- Game and Fish Department game wardens: Spotty pheasant success in west-central and northwest N.D. Waterfowl now starting to move with weather change. Some local birds moving out and a few more waterfowl coming in.

- Northwest North Dakota: Hunters finding some nice upland numbers in some areas. More geese moving in the area around Lake Sakakawea’s midsection.

- Southwest North Dakota: Continued fair to good pheasant success with lots of hunters in the field.

- West-central North Dakota: More waterfowl moving into the area with an overall increase in ducks, lesser Canada geese, swans, and a few snow geese. Hunters finding better pheasant numbers with corn and sunflower harvest started.

- Western North Dakota: Pheasant success remains fair to good.

Numbers to know

- North Dakota Game and Fish Department main Bismarck office: 701-328-6300, website gf.nd.gov.

- N.D. 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