Outdoor notes
- Sunday: Earth Day.
- April 27: Great Plains Regional Office Ducks Unlimited 75th Anniversary, Bismarck.
- April 28: Williston Ducks Unlimited banquet, 4:30 p.m., Airport International Inn, Williston.
- May 1: Paddlefish snagging season opens.
Tournaments
- April 28: Missouri River, Graner’s Bottoms.
Fishing
- North Dakota Game and Fish Department District game wardens: Continued good walleye success on the Missouri River south of Mandan using jigs or crank baits. Patterson Lake fair for small northern pike. Lake Sakakawea’s Little Missouri Arm various sizes of pike for shore anglers. No water releases from Lake Tschida yet so downstream activity is limited. Area lakes remain quiet.
- Bismarck, Dakota Tackle, Missouri River/area lakes: Missouri River remains good for walleye using jigs and minnows with most activity south of Bismarck. A little activity on small area lakes but no reports. Look for some pike activity yet in warmer, shallow waters casting spoons or smelt.
- Dickinson, Andrus Outdoors, Lake Sakakawea/area lakes: Not much activity, although anglers are still finding pike from shore around Mel’s Marina on Lake Sakakawea. Try smelt. Patterson Lake fair to good for small pike. Overall, boat activity was limited due to windy conditions.
- Dickinson, Runnings Farm and Fleet, Lake Sakakawea/area lakes: Limited reports from Lake Sakakawea and small area lakes.
-Garrison, Cenex Bait and Tackle, Lake Sakakawea: Lake Sakakawea fair for walleye and sauger jigging deep in 20 to 70 feet off the south side bluffs, Mallard Island or Wolf Creek. Look for pike from shore at Douglas or Steinke bays using smelt or casting smelt. Limited reports from Lake Audubon. Missouri River remains fair.
- Glen Ullin, Fitterer’s Inc., Lake Tschida: Some activity on Lake Tschida but limited reports.
- Mandan, Southside MVP, Missouri River/area lakes: Continued good for walleye on the Missouri River with most activity from Little Heart to the south using jigs, live bait rigs or crankbaits.
- Pick City, Scott’s Bait and Tackle, Lake Sakakawea/Missouri River: Lake Sakakawea back bays continue producing pike with most under 10 pounds. Bigger fish seem to be farther from Hazen Bay and west. Missouri River tailrace remains fair to good for walleye from boats using jigs and minnows or pulling crankbaits. Good numbers of eater-sized fish. Shore anglers still finding some walleye from the wing walls or rocks using live bait or plastics. Lake Audubon producing activity from shore. Try Velva Point or the East Totten Recreation Area pier.
- New Town, Scenic 23, Lake Sakakawea: Fair for pike from shore in the Van Hook Arm but limited boat activity yet.
- Watford City, One-Stop, Lake Sakakawea: Continued pike success from Tobacco Garden using a variety of presentations.
- Williston, Scenic Sports, Lake Sakakawea/Missouri River: Smelt run is underway in the upper end of Lake Sakakawea. Most pike are spawned out. Good numbers of anglers out, weather permitting, but limited reports from the Missouri River. No reports from Lake Sakakawea.
Missouri River
boat ramps
- All ramps open except Hoge’s, Sibley Park and Maclean Bottoms. Kimball Bottoms ramp is slide-in metal.
North Dakota rivers streamflow and river stage
- Bear Den Creek, Mandaree: Creek stage, 3.54 feet; streamflow, 0.63 CFS.
- Cannonball River, Regent: River stage, 1.61 feet; streamflow, 8 CFS.
- Green River, New Hradec: River stage, 6.34 feet; streamflow, 2.4 CFS.
- Heart River, Richardton: River stage, 4.17 feet; streamflow, 4.9 CFS.
- Little Missouri River, Marmarth: River stage, 2.25 feet.
- Little Missouri River, Medora: River stage, 2.24 feet.
- Little Missouri River, Long X Bridge: River stage. 0.2 feet.
- Missouri River, Williston: River stage, 14.81 feet.
- Missouri River, Stanton: River stage, 10.64 feet.
- Yellowstone River, Sidney, Mont.: River stage, 5.99 feet; streamflow, 9,150 CFS.
Turkey hunting
- Limited activity in the southwest.
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
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