Dakota Recreation Report

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Outdoor notes

- Burning Coal Vein Campground, 28 miles south of Medora now open but Buffalo Gap Campground eight miles east of Medora has limited water availability.

- Saturday: Aquapalooza, Fort Stevenson State Park, Garrison.

- Saturday and Sunday: Great Plainer Salmon Club outing, Sakakawea State Park.

- Saturday to Aug. 11: CANDISC Bicycle Tour.

- Aug. 11: Dog Days of Summer, Cross Ranch State Park, Hensler.

- Aug. 11: Fall crow season opens.

- Aug. 14: Fur Harvester workshop, North Dakota Game and Fish Department, 100 N. Bismarck Expressway, Bismarck. Preregister at the Game and Fish website, (gf.nd.gov), click “Online services” and “Online course enrollment”.

- Aug. 15: Swan applications due.

Tournaments

- Saturday and Sunday: Lake Sakakawea; Indian Hills Resort.

- Aug. 11: Lake Sakakawea, White Earth Bay.

- Aug. 18: Sheep Creek Dam, Lake Sakakawea; Indian Hills Resort, Lake Sakakawea; Sakakawea State Park, Nelson Lake.

- Aug. 19: Lake Tschida.

Fishing

- NDGF Department District game wardens: Limited reports with little activity on southwestern and west-central area lakes, although Sheep Creek Dam producing a few bass from shore. Lake Sakakawea and Lake Audubon remain fair to good for walleye. Many area lakes are getting weedy.

- Beulah, Dakota Waters Resort, Lake Sakakawea: Continued fair to good for walleye in 12 to 15 feet with most activity along the north shore or west side of Beaver Bay.

- Bismarck, Dakota Tackle, Missouri River/area lakes: Lake Sakakawea remains fair for salmon. Try flashers and squids or spoons with herring. Most activity on the Missouri River is south around Beaver Bay or north at the tailrace where walleye success remains fair.

- Dickinson, Andrus Outdoors, Lake Sakakawea/area lakes: Fewer recent reports but Lake Sakakawea remains good throughout the west end and midsection. Try 15 to 20 feet with spinners and nightcrawlers. Indian Creek Dam continues producing small walleye. Try crankbaits from boats for bigger fish. Lake Tschida remain fair for small walleye but most are non-keepers. Patterson Lake pike bits from shore continues with best success casting spoons from shore in the morning and evening.

- Dickinson, Runnings Farm and Fleet, Lake Sakakawea/area lakes: Continued good walleye success using variety of presentations on Lake Sakakawea. Work deeper in 20 to 30 feet around McKenzie Bay, Skunk Bay and New Town area. Indian Creek Dam producing decent panfish success but walleye slowed. Camels Hump Dam good for panfish from boat, slower from shore with weed growth and algae.

- Garrison, Cenex Bait and Tackle, Lake Sakakawea: Continued good walleye success on Lake Sakakawea. Try variety of presentations in 6 to 20 feet. Missouri River remains fair to good for walleye. Try early morning or late evening for bigger walleye. Limited reports from Lake Audubon with most anglers fishing Sakakawea and the river.

- Garrison, Indian Hills Resort, Lake Sakakawea: Continued fair to good for small walleye with some keepers mixed in. Try spinners and nightcrawlers working north shore points depending on the wind. 5- to 10-pound pike with smallmouth bass mixed in.

- Glen Ullin, Fitterer’s Inc., Lake Tschida: Limited reports from Lake Tschida.

- Mandan, Southside MVP, Missouri River/area lakes: Missouri River remains fair for small walleye but just not many keepers. Better success seems to be farther north around the tailrace.

- Mandaree, McKenzie Bay Marina, Lake Sakakawea: Overall fair walleye success. Some anglers moving deeper into 30 feet but try shallow working from 6 feet out. Most success continues with spinners and nightcrawlers north and south of the resort.

- Pick City, Scott’s Bait and Tackle, Lake Sakakawea/Missouri River: Lake Sakakawea continues producing walleye with lots of activity around the east end of the lake along the points and bays, including Steinke Bay, around Mallard Island, Centennial Bay and Douglas Bay in 12 to 30 feet. Also try Alcatraz or 3 bays west of Sakakawea State Park on the south shore but success is throughout most of the lake. Try Lindy rigs or spinners and nightcrawlers. Leeches are winding down on availability. Good numbers of smallmouth bass, white bass, pike and catfish. Continued salmon activity with most success around Government Bay because that’s where most anglers are fishing. Try 65 to 85 feet over 85 to 130 feet. Salmon are nice-sized with nice numbers. Missouri River continues producing good numbers of small walleye using Lindy rigs or spinners and bottom bouncers. Also try drifting and trolling. Best success is at night using variety of presentations in the chutes for bigger fish. Some trout mixed in. Shore-fishing bite is also late at night around the boat ramp with crankbaits or from the rocks.

- New Town, Scenic 23, Lake Sakakawea: Continued fair to good for walleye in the Van Hook Arm. Fish moving a little deeper in 13 to 20 feet with some anglers switching to deep-diving crankbaits. River portion of the lake slowed somewhat.

- New Town, Van Hook Bait and Tackle, Lake Sakakawea: Continued walleye success moving out to 20 to 22 feet using spinners or Lindy rigs with nightcrawlers. Lots of small walleye so sort through for keepers. Try south of Flag Point Flats or south of Rodeo Bay.

- Watford City, Tobacco Garden Resort, Lake Sakakawea: Continued fair walleye success using variety of presentations and bait, although leeches becoming more difficult to get. Most activity remains to the east.

- Williston, Scenic Sports, Lake Sakakawea/Missouri River: Success slowed from New Town to Lund’s Landing on Lake Sakakawea, although lots of anglers on the water. Not much activity on the Missouri River in the Williston area. OK success on small area lakes.

North Dakota rivers streamflow and river stage

- Bear Den Creek, Mandaree: Creek stage, 3.39 feet; streamflow, 0 CFS.

- Cannonball River, Regent: River stage, 4.65 feet.

- Green River, New Hradec: River stage, 5.93 feet; streamflow, 0.38 CFS.

- Heart River, Richardton: River stage, 4.7 feet; streamflow, 7.9 CFS.

- Knife River, Manning: River stage, 5.87 feet; streamflow, 0.42 CFS.

- Little Missouri River, Marmath: River stage, 1.65 feet; streamflow, 16 CFS.

- Little Missouri River, Medora: River stage, 1.97 feet; streamflow, 37 CFS.

- Little Missouri River, Trotters: River stage, 1.92 feet; streamflow, 4.6 CFS.

- Missouri River, Williston: River stage, 15.05 feet.

- Missouri River, Stanton: River stage, 8.3 feet.

- Missouri River, Bismarck: Streamflow, 25,800 CFS.

- Yellowstone River, Sidney, Mont.: River stage, 4.59 feet; streamflow, 4,540 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, rec report, outdoors