Outdoor notes
- Remember camping restrictions on Game and Fish Wildlife Mgmt. Areas: No camping Tuesday or Wednesdays on Mercer and McLean county WMAs; no camping at all on WMAs in Mountrail, Williams and McKenzie county WMAs.
- Saturday and Sunday: Free Fishing Weekend.
- Sat. and Sun.: “Tweet This” complete-at-your-own-pace activities, Audubon Nat’l. Wildlife Refuge (NWR).
- Saturday: Kids Fishing Day, Lake Ilo NWR, Dunn Center.
- Saturday: Volunteer Work Day, Cross Ranch Nature Preserve and state park, 9 a.m.
- Wednesday: Deer gun, muzzleloader and landowner applications due.
- June 9 and 10: “Prairie Private Eye” complete-at-your-own-pace activities, Audubon NWR.
Tournaments
- Saturday: Lake Oahe, Cattail Bay; Missouri River tailrace; Missouri River, Prairie Knights Casino, Sporting Chance Disabled Persons Fishing Day; Lake Audubon.
- June 9: Lake Oahe, Beaver Bay; Upper Missouri River, Trenton.
- June 9 and 10: Lake Sakakawea, Parshall Bay; Lake Oahe, Langeliers Bay.
Fishing
- North Dakota Game and Fish Department District game wardens: Indian Creek Dam producing 12- to 21-inch walleye and some larger bluegill. Bowman-Haley Dam fair for walleye with some about 15 inches. Some white bass and northern pike mixed in. Dickinson Dike producing a few trout using worms along with some larger catfish. Gascoyne Lake producing pike up to 3 pounds. Heart River is producing a mix of walleye and catfish. Lake Tschida producing some crappie and small walleye. Continued small walleye success from the Missouri River. No reports from the east end of Lake Sakakawea. Limited success on the upper end of Lake Sakakawea.
- Bismarck, Dakota Tackle, Missouri River/area lakes: Limited reports with recent wind and weather limiting activity.
- Dickinson, Andrus Outdoors, Lake Sakakawea/area lakes: Not much activity and limited reports with cold, windy weather.
- Dickinson, Runnings Farm and Fleet, Lake Sakakawea/area lakes: Limited reports due to weather, although the Missouri River remains good for small, eater-sized walleye. Lake Sakakawea starting to produce more fish but low water levels limiting access at Mel’s Marina. Use caution at the bottom of the ramp. Improving success at McKenzie and Mossett bays. Try Lindy rigs or jigs and minnows. Lake Tschida fair to good for small walleye using variety of presentations, including crankbaits, in 8 to 20 feet. Patterson Lake fair for pike in the back bays casting spinner baits or spoons. Good numbers of 2- to 4-pound fish.
- Garrison, Cenex Bait and Tackle, Lake Sakakawea: Weather limiting activity, but when people can get on the water the eastern end of Lake Sakakawea is improving for walleye and sauger with some pike and smallmouth bass mixed in. Try variety of presentations. Lake Audubon also fair to good for walleye. Missouri River continues producing small walleye. Sort through for keepers. Move around with fish moving, too, but look for the possibility of bigger fish coming farther down river.
- Garrison, Indian Hills Resort, Lake Sakakawea: Limited reports but a few more anglers are getting on the water with more walleye starting to show up. Try Lindy rigs and minnows.
- Glen Ullin, Fitterer’s Inc., Lake Tschida: Lots of small pike and walleye from Lake Tschida.
- Mandan, Southside MVP, Missouri River/area lakes: Continued fair to good success on the Missouri River for small walleye with improving activity around Beaver and Cattail bays.
- Mandaree, McKenzie Bay Marina, Lake Sakakawea: Limited activity with a few anglers finding occasional walleye in the bay.
- Pick City, Scott’s Bait and Tackle, Lake Sakakawea/Missouri River: Missouri River remains good for small walleye and trout with occasional salmon. Try 3-way swivels in the chutes, plastics or crankbaits. Work minnows or nightcrawlers with jigs or Lindy rigs down river from boats around the cable crossing coal veins or spillway channel. Small pike remain throughout the entire river. Try the campground loop, boat ramp, rocks and wing walls for walleye and pike from shore using a variety of presentations. Crankbait success from the rocks is improving at night for small walleye and trout. Lots of large cisco. Lake Sakakawea activity remains limited.
- New Town, Scenic 23, Lake Sakakawea: Weather perming, anglers are finding more walleye. Try 17 to 24 feet using jigs or spinners and minnows.
- Watford City, One-Stop, Lake Sakakawea: Weather continues limiting activity and success with those anglers going out still finding pike from shore but limited walleye and sauger reports.
- Watford City, Tobacco Garden Resort, Lake Sakakawea: Limited boat fishing due to cold weather. Fair success from shore casting spoons or crankbaits for pike.
- White Earth, White Earth Bait Trading Post, Lake Sakakawea: Limited success.
- Williston, Scenic Sports, Lake Sakakawea/Missouri River: Weather limiting activity, including slower pike success in the backwaters. Missouri River continues to rise, which is also slowing activity. Lake Sakakawea water temperatures remain cool.
North Dakota rivers streamflow and river stage
- Cannonball River, Regent: River stage, 4.95 feet.
- Green River, New Hradec: River stage, 6.33 feet; streamflow, 2.2 CFS.
- Heart River, Richardton: River stage, 5.2 feet; streamflow, 33 CFS.
- Knife River, Manning: River stage, 6.48 feet streamflow, 5.9 CFS.
- Little Missouri River, Marmath: River stage, 2.28 feet; streamflow, 117 CFS.
- Little Missouri River, Medora: River stage, 2.22 feet; streamflow, 106 CFS.
- Little Missouri River, Long X: River stage, 0.36 feet; streamflow, 273 CFS.
- Missouri River, Williston: River stage, 18.79 feet.
- Missouri River, Stanton: River stage, 9.7 feet.
- Yellowstone River, Sidney, Montana: River stage, 8.59 feet; streamflow, 20,300 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/north dakotafieldoffice).
Patricia Stockdill
Tags: dakota recreation report, rec report, outdoors
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