Dakota Recreation Report

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Outdoor notes

- Aug. 31: Archery deer season opens, mountain lion season opens.

- Sept. 1: Dove season opens.

Tournaments

- Saturday: Sheep Creek Dam; Upper Missouri River, Lewis and Clark Bridge; Lake Sakakawea, Indian Hills Resort; Lake Sakakawea, Sakakawea State Park; Nelson Lake.

- Sunday: Lake Tschida.

- Aug. 25: Nelson Lake.

Fishing

- North Dakota Game and Fish Department District game wardens: bowman-Haley Dam, Patterson Lake and Lake Tschida are quite green but Bowman-Haley continues producing keeper walleye. Camels Hump Dam producing bluegill. Lake Sakakawea good for smallmouth bass and 14-inch walleye throughout the Little Missouri Arm and west end of the lake. East end of Lake Sakakawea and Missouri River slowed somewhat but anglers are still finding overall fair success.

- Beulah, Dakota Waters Resort, Lake Sakakawea: Weather changes creating inconsistent success for locations but overall continued fair to good walleye activity. Try a little deeper in 15 to 20 feet with minnows in areas such as the north shore water intake. Move around with wind and changing temperatures.

- Dickinson, Andrus Outdoors, Lake Sakakawea/area lakes: Work deeper in 18 to 25 feet on throughout Lake Sakakawea with nightcrawlers for generally good walleye success. Camels Hump Dam continues fair for trout. Patterson Lake continues producing pike from shore. Look for a few perch from Lake Ilo. Lake Tschida.

- Dickinson, Runnings Farm and Fleet, Lake Sakakawea/area lakes: Missouri River tailrace remains good for walleye with several limits. Fish are running 17 to 20 inches. Lots of boat activity. Best times are from 9 p.m. to sunrise with size often dependent on water release. Try 3-way swivels with floating Rapalas and drifting back from the chutes. Some trout mixed in. Lake Sakakawea slowed slightly with fish becoming more scattered anywhere from 5 feet with Lindy rigs out to 45 feet with crankbaits and snap rigs. Move around and experiment with presentations but bigger fish seem deeper off the breaks with fish generally scattered throughout much of the lake. Limited reports from small area lakes, although look for walleye from Lake Tschida using Lindy rigs with nightcrawlers in the deeper water off the breaks.

- Garrison, Cenex Bait and Tackle, Lake Sakakawea: Continued fair to good for walleye on Lake Sakakawea. Work variety of depths and presentations throughout much of the east end. Missouri River fair for small walleye with some bigger ones showing up at times. Try jigs. Some walleye success on Lake Audubon in 7 to 30 feet.

- Garrison, Indian Hills Resort, Lake Sakakawea: Continued fair to good walleye success with most activity along the north side. Try 20 feet using crankbaits, spinners and nightcrawlers or jigs and minnows.

- Glen Ullin, Fitterer’s Inc., Lake Tschida: A few anglers on Lake Tschida but limited reports.

- Mandan, Southside MVP, Missouri River/area lakes: Missouri River slowed somewhat for walleye. Those taken are still on the small side.

- Mandaree, McKenzie Bay Marina, Lake Sakakawea: Continued fair to good for walleye. Try variety of depths from 6 to 35 feet using spinners, Lindy rigs or jigging with nightcrawlers with some minnow success. Most activity is out on the big water but anglers are working farther in McKenzie Bay.

- Pick City, Scott’s Bait and Tackle, Lake Sakakawea/Missouri River: Continued good walleye success on Lake Sakakawea using Lindy or spinners and bottom bouncers with nightcrawlers in 22 to 30 feet. Also try shallower in 8 to 13 feet. Try much of the east end working west to Douglas Bay. Good numbers of small walleye with nice ones mixed in. Also try crankbaits. Some pike and smallmouth bass mixed in. Try 65 to 85 feet over 100 to 130 feet using flashers and squids or herring for salmon working north out of Government Bay. Look for action to shift to the face of the dam soon. Missouri River continues producing small walleye with occasional nice one mixed in. Try jigs and minnows or nightcrawlers with 3-way swivel success in the chutes, where there is a variety of species. Lots of boat fishing activity so be cautious. Shore-fishing is fair to good for a mix of species. Try floating Lindy rigs, rigs with nightcrawlers or crankbaits but the bite is definitely later at night, closer to 11 p.m.

- New Town, Scenic 23, Lake Sakakawea: Continued fair for walleye in the Van Hook Arm. Try spinners or Lindy rigs and nightcrawlers in 12 to 20 feet. Also try crankbaits in the same depths.

- Watford City, Tobacco Garden Resort, Lake Sakakawea: Continued fair to good for walleye from shore and west of the well on the main lake.

- Williston, Scenic Sports, Lake Sakakawea/Missouri River: Variable weather patterns creating inconsistent walleye success on the west end of Lake Sakakawea with fewer sauger showing up.

North Dakota rivers streamflow and river stage

- Bear Den Creek, Mandaree: Creek stage, 3.61 feet; streamflow, 2 CFS.

- Cannonball River, Regent: River stage, 4.7 feet.

- Green River, New Hradec: River stage, 6.01 feet; streamflow, 0.6 CFS.

- Heart River, Richardton: River stage, 4.78 feet; streamflow, 11 CFS.

- Knife River, Manning: River stage, 5.91 feet; streamflow, 0.8 CFS.

- Little Missouri River, Marmath: River stage, 1.61 feet; streamflow, 13 CFS.

- Little Missouri River, Medora: River stage, 1.91 feet; streamflow, 32 CFS.

- Little Missouri River, Trotters: River stage, 1.99 feet; streamflow, 5.6 CFS/

- Missouri River, Williston: River stage, 14.33 feet.

- Missouri River, Stanton: River stage, 8.94 feet.

- Missouri River, Bismarck: Streamflow, 24,900 CFS.

- Yellowstone River, Sidney, Mont.: River stage, 3.63 feet; streamflow, 2,120 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: rec report, dakota recreation report, outdoors