Dakota Recreation Report

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Outdoor Notes:

- Tuesday: North Dakota Game and Fish Department advisory board meeting, 7 p.m., Beach High School.

- Wednesday: NDGF Department advisory board meeting, 7 p.m., Williston, Montana-Dakota Utilities.

- April 13 and 14: National Archery in the Schools state tournament, Bismarck.

- April 13: Dunn County Ducks Unlimited banquet, 5:30 p.m., Buckskin Bar, Killdeer.

- April 14: Teddy Roosevelt Chapter Mule Deer Foundation banquet, Dickinson.

- April 14: Spring turkey season opens.

- April 15: Earth Day.

Fishing:

- Lake Sakakawea elevation, April 3: 1,837.9 feet above mean sea level; 25,000 cubic feet per second (CFS) Garrison Dam average daily releases.

- North Dakota Game and Fish Department District game wardens: Not much activity on southwestern area lakes with most anglers on the Missouri River south of Bismarck. Walleye shallow in 3 to 6 feet using jigs and minnows.

- Bismarck, Dakota Tackle, Missouri River/area lakes: Continued good walleye and northern pike success on the Missouri River and Lake Oahe with anglers putting in at Hazelton and going south. The river has action from the tailrace all the way down river. Good pike success at Moffit Creek.

- Dickinson, Andrus Outdoors, Lake Sakakawea/area lakes: Mel’s Marina on Lake Sakakawea good for nice-sized pike using smelt. A few boats now going on the water but walleye success is limited yet. Work the back bays from Skunk Bay and pitch jigs into the shore for walleye. McKenzie Bay good for pike. Continued good success on the Missouri River, including the confluence of the Heart River. Try jigs in 12 feet and deeper. Tailrace remains good for walleye from boat. Camels Hump Dam continues producing rainbow trout.

- Dickinson, Runnings Farm and Fleet, Lake Sakakawea/area lakes: Missouri River remains good with better success for bigger fish coming south of Bismarck down to Hazelton. Tailrace good with lots of activity around the mouth of the spillway down river. Mel’s Landing on Lake Sakakawea good for large pike. Work any of the back bays from shore. Some boat activity with the lake ice-free but no reports on success. Lake Tschida doesn’t have down river flow but walk downstream and cast minnows for walleye. No reports from area lakes.

- Garrison, Cenex Bait and Tackle, Lake Sakakawea: East end of Lake Sakakawea producing a mix of smallmouth bass, walleye, pike, catfish and sauger. Try Steinke Bay, Mallard Island, Riverdale Bluffs or Wolf Creek in a variety of depths and presentations. Lots of boat activity on the Missouri River with continued good walleye and pike success. North Lake on Lake Audubon and Audubon’s east end embankment remain fair but inconsistent for walleye. Some pike mixed in.

- Garrison, Indian Hills Resort, Lake Sakakawea: Dock is in place. Bait will be available in the coming weeks.

- Glen Ullin, Fitterer’s Inc., Lake Tschida: Some activity on Lake Tschida but no reports on success.

- Mandan, Southside MVP, Missouri River/area lakes: Continued good walleye success on the Missouri River, especially Fort Rice, using jigs, crankbaits or live bait rigs and minnows.

- Pick City, Scott’s Bait and Tackle, Lake Sakakawea/Missouri River: Lake Sakakawea back bays have fair to good pike success using bobbers or working off the bottom with smelt. Also try casting crankbaits. Missouri River remains good for eater-sized walleye anchoring with jigs and minnows. Some walleye success from the wing walls and from shore. Try a mix of live bait and crankbaits from shore.

- New Town, Scenic 23, Lake Sakakawea: Improving walleye and pike activity from shore in Brendle’s Bay, Deepwater Bay, Van Hook Arm and the river section. Try casting spoons or smelt for pike with minnows for walleye.

- Watford City, One-Stop, Lake Sakakawea: Tobacco Garden good for pike casting spoons or with smelt.

- Williston, Scenic Sports, Lake Sakakawea/Missouri River: Continued pike success in backwater areas with shore-fishing success for walleye on the Missouri River. Boats are going out and heading up the river, too.

Open Missouri River ramps:

- All ramps open except Hogue’s Island, Sibley Park, Maclean Bottoms. Kimball Bottoms ramp is slide-in metal.

Downhill skiing:

- Big Sky, Big Sky, Montana: 55- to 83-inch base with powder and machine groomed conditions. 55 runs and 20 lifts open.

- Bridger Bowl, Bozeman, Montana: 63-inch base with spring, machine groomed conditions. 28 runs and 5 lifts open.

- Red Lodge, Red Lodge, Montana: 60-inch base with spring variable conditions. 61 runs and 4 lifts open.

North Dakota rivers streamflow and river stage:

- Bear Den Creek, Mandaree: Creek stage, 3.66 feet; streamflow, 1.5 CFS.

- Cannonball River, Regent: River stage, 1.67 feet; streamflow, 12 CFS.

- Green River, New Hradec: River stage, 6.43 feet; streamflow, 3.5 feet.

- Heart River, Richardton: River stage, 5.29 feet; streamflow, 40 CFS.

- Knife River, Manning: River stage, 6.44 feet; streamflow; 5.3 CFS.

- Little Missouri River, Marmath: River stage, 2.3 feet.

- Little Missouri River, Medora: River stage, 2.41 feet.

- Little Missouri River, Long X Bridge: River stage, 0.22 feet.

- Missouri River, Williston: River stage, 14.95 feet.

- Missouri River, Stanton: River stage, 9.99 feet.

- Missouri River, Bismarck: Streamflow, 25,100 CFS.

- Yellowstone River, Sidney, Mont.: River stage, 5.83 feet; streamflow, 8,560 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 and Wildlife Service, Bismarck, website: (www.fws.gov/northdakotafieldoffice).

Patricia Stockdill

Tags: dakota recreation report, outdoors