Dakota Recreation Report

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Outdoor notes

*Usable Lake Oahe ramps: Hazelton, Beaver Bay, Walker Bottoms, Cattail Bay, Langelier’s Bay.

*Marginal Missouri River ramps: Steckel, Fort Rice. All other Missouri River ramps closed.

*Missouri River idle speed only from 1,000 feet south of the Steckel Landing to MacLean Bottoms, including MacLean Bottoms.

*Lake Sakakawea ramps update: Hale Marina, Reunion Bay, Skunk Bay and White Earth Bay ramps unusable. All other access points have usable ramps.

*Fall turkey applications now available from the North Dakota Game and Fish Department and license vendors. Apply online at gf.nd.gov. Applications due July 6.

Tournaments

*Saturday: Lake Sakakawea, Sakakawea State Park.

*Sunday: Raleigh Reservoir.

*June 25 and 26: Lake Sakakawea, McKenzie Bay.

Fishing

Lake Sakakawea elevation, Wednesday: 1,853.5 feet above mean sea level; 140,000 cubic feet per second (CFS) Garrison Dam average daily releases; tailrace temperature is 47 F.

*NDGF District game wardens: Lake Tschida continues producing small walleye in the lake and below the dam. Lake Sakakawea producing catfish in the east end back bays.

*Beulah, Dakota Waters Resort, Lake Sakakawea: Good numbers of northern pike from boat and shore using spoons or crankbaits. Work the back bays. Occasional reports of walleye and sauger but nothing on locations or depths.

*Bismarck, Dakota Tackle, Missouri River/area lakes: Lake Audubon fair for walleye with a good number of anglers on the water.

*Dickinson, Andrus Outdoors, Lake Sakakawea/area lakes: Work 8 to 12 feet on Lake Sakakawea around Mossett and McKenzie bays using nightcrawlers for walleye. Try 45 to 65 feet for sauger using jigs and minnows. Water is muddy around Mel’s Marina but the area is producing northern pike and catfish. Camels Hump Dam continues producing trout. Dickinson Dike fair for trout using Mepps spinners. Lake Tschida remains good for walleye below the dam using jigs and minnows from shore. Bowman-Haley Dam remains fair for small walleye. Try casting spoons from shore at Patterson Lake.

*Dickinson, Runnings Farm & Fleet, Lake Sakakawea/area lakes: Lake Tschida remains good for walleye. Try spinners and nightcrawlers or jig and Lindy rigs with minnows. Best success is below the dam for larger walleye with jigs. Good numbers of small walleye from the lake itself. Lake Sakakawea producing some walleye and sauger around Fish Point and Moccasin Bay using spinners with large blades and nightcrawlers in 12 feet with slow presentation.

*Garrison, Cenex Bait & Tackle, Lake Sakakawea: Weather continues limiting activity on Lake Sakakawea. Weather fronts also slowing Lake Audubon success but look for improving action with stable weather.

*Garrison, Indian Hills Resort, Lake Sakakawea: Occasional smallmouth bass from shore but boat fishing remains limited yet.

*Glen Ullin, Fitterer’s Inc., Lake Tschida: Lake Tschida fair for small walleye.

*Mandaree, McKenzie Bay Marina, Lake Sakakawea: Limited boat fishing with occasional walleye and sauger. Try variety of presentations.

*Pick City, Scott’s Bait & Tackle, Lake Sakakawea/Missouri River: Some walleye activity along the north shore of Lake Sakakawea. Try pitching jigs toward the shoreline in the shallows in less than 5 feet. Also try 20 feet with Lindy rigs with slow presentations. Water temperatures remain on the cool side, which is possibly limiting success. Look for northern pike in the back bays.

*New Town, Van Hook Bait & Tackle, Lake Sakakawea: Some walleye success in the shallows in back bay feeder creeks, including Shell Creek. Some nice-sized bass from shore with northern pike mixed in. Walleye success remains limited in the Arm itself but look for improving walleye success from boats as water temperatures warm.

*Watford City, Tobacco Garden, Lake Sakakawea: Continued fair to good from shore for northern pike and catfish using jigs and leeches or smelt. Limited boat fishing yet but the few anglers going are finding some walleye.

*Watford City, One-Stop, Lake Sakakawea: Continued northern pike success around Tobacco Garden but walleye remain limited yet. Water temperatures remain on the cool side.

*Williston, Scenic Sports, Lake Sakakawea/Missouri River: Lots of Missouri River water causing local flooding. Try shallow back bays for northern pike.

North Dakota river levels and streamflow, Tuesday:

*Bear Den Creek, Mandaree gauge: Creek stage, 4.2 feet; streamflow, 8.2 CFS.

*Cannonball River, Regent gauge: River stage, 4.21 feet; streamflow, 148 CFS.

*Green River, New Hradec gauge: River stage, 7.24 feet; streamflow, 138 CFS.

*Heart River, Richardton gauge: River stage, 4.4 feet; streamflow, 36 CFS.

*Knife River, Manning gauge: River stage, 7.67 feet; streamflow, 64 CFS.

*Little Missouri River, Marmath: River stage, 4.4 feet; streamflow, 1,280 CFS.

*Little Missouri River, Medora gauge: River stage, 5.1 feet; streamflow, 1,190 CFS.

*Little Missouri River, Long X gauge: River stage, 3.02 feet; streamflow, 1,730 CFS.

*Missouri River, Williston gauge: River stage, 29.4 feet.

*Missouri River, Stanton: River stage, 23.35 feet.

*Yellowstone River, Sidney, Mont. gauge: River stage, 17.43 feet; streamflow, 76,000 CFS.

Numbers to know

*NDGF Department main Bismarck office: 701-328-6300; website, http://gf.nd.gov.

*NDGF Department Dickinson office: 701-227-7431.

*Report All Poachers: 800-472-2121.

*U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, Bismarck, website, www.fws.gov/northdakotafieldoffice.

Tags: dakota recreation report, lake sakakawea, lake tschida, outdoors, fishing, hunting, recreation