Dakota Recreation Report

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Outdoor notes

- Friday and Saturday: Youth waterfowl hunting clinic, Ducks Unlimited office, Bismarck. Call 701-355-3500 for free registration.

- Saturday: Grouse, partridge and squirrel seasons open.

- Saturday: Friends of the NRA banquet, Beulah, Grandview Steakhouse, 5:30 p.m.

- Sept. 14: Youth deer season opens.

- Sept. 15 and 16: Youth waterfowl season.

- Sept. 15: Early Canada goose season closes.

- Sept. 15: Sandhill and snipe seasons open.

- Sept. 22: Resident-only waterfowl and woodcock seasons open.

Tournaments

- Saturday: Lake Sakakawea, Beulah Bay; Rice Lake, Missouri River, Kimball Bottoms.

- Sept. 15 and 16: Lake Sakakawea, Fort Stevenson State Park.

- Sept. 15: Lake Sakakawea, Tobacco Garden.

Fishing

- North Dakota Game and Fish Department District game wardens: No reports from southwestern area lakes. OK walleye success on the Missouri River. Lake Sakakawea fair to good for salmon. Try the face of the dam over to Deadman’s Bay and the old river channel. New Town and Van Hook Arm slowed with the lake turning. Lake Audubon fair for walleye.

- Beulah, Dakota Waters Resort, Lake Sakakawea: Fewer anglers on the water but those going out are finding walleye success throughout the area on both sides on the lake. Work as deep as 40 to 50 feet.

- Bismarck, Dakota Tackle, Missouri River/area lakes: Continued good salmon success on Lake Sakakawea with larger fish taken in deeper water. Try working more than 90 feet over 120 feet along the bottom of the old river channel. Missouri River tailrace continues producing walleye and salmon with occasional catfish.

- Dickinson, Andrus Outdoors, Lake Sakakawea/area lakes: Fewer anglers on Lake Sakakawea but those going found walleye in 18 to 30 feet using nightcrawlers and minnows. Fish are scattered so move around throughout much of the lake. Fish are running 13 to 17 inches in the Little Missouri Arm with bigger fish in the bigger water. Camels Hump Dam fair for trout but good bluegill success. Try bobber and sinkers from shore. Indian Creek Dam slow for walleye; fair for perch. Lake Tschida improving somewhat for walleye but they remain small in size. Patterson Lake continues producing pike casting spoons from shore.

- Dickinson, Runnings Farm and Fleet, Lake Sakakawea/area lakes: Lake Sakakawea slow to fair for walleye. Work deeper in 30 to 50 feet using crankbaits around Beaver Creek and Beulah Bay. Also try Lindy rigs and leeches. Tunnel Point remains good using crankbaits or spinners with nightcrawlers. Missouri River tailrace continues producing walleye with improving success during the day. Look for good nighttime success with the bright moon. Lake Tschida remains fair for small walleye but no reports from other area lakes.

- Garrison, Cenex Bait and Tackle, Lake Sakakawea: Work deeper on the east end of Lake Sakakawea west to Douglas Bay in 25 to 45 feet with spinners, Lindy rigs and deep-diving crankbaits. Missouri River remains fair for walleye with best success still at night or early in the morning. Limited reports from Lake Audubon but move around and try a variety of depths.

- Garrison, Indian Hills Resort, Lake Sakakawea: Continued fair to good success for small walleye with some nice, 22- to 24-inch fish mixed in. Try 15 to 25 feet using spinners with nightcrawlers. Camping and cabins available into late fall but the store is now closed for the season. Call for more information.

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

- Mandan, Southside MVP, Missouri River/area lakes: Missouri River remains slow.

- Mandaree, McKenzie Bay Marina, Lake Sakakawea: Anglers working both directions up and down the Little Missouri Arm in 12 to 30 feet for walleye with fair success. Try spinners and nightcrawlers with a minnow bite starting. Resort now closed for the season.

- Pick City, Scott’s Bait and Tackle, Lake Sakakawea/Missouri River: Lake Sakakawea salmon success remains good with nice numbers of fish taken. Try 80 to 110 feet with flashers and squids or herring with or without flashers. A few are shallower, too. Most success is around Deadman’s Bay to the spillway. Look for action to move to the face of the dam in coming weeks. Fish are nice-sized. Continued walleye success but fish are more scattered so move around using Lindy rigs, spinners and bottom bouncers or crankbaits. Try nightcrawlers or plastics. Missouri River walleye success is scattered during the day. Look for a switch to minnows soon but most success is still with Lindy rigs or spinners and bottom bouncers and nightcrawlers during the day. Try down river. Catfish success continues during the day in the chutes with a smattering of trout and salmon. Night bite for a variety of species remains good in the chutes using 3-way swivels and crankbaits or plastics. Shore-fishing success is slower.

- New Town, Scenic 23, Lake Sakakawea: Work deeper in 22 to 25 feet with walleye concentrating around the southern part of the Van Hook Arm. The walleye bite is switching to minnows now. Good numbers of large smallmouth bass. Try trolling or pitching small spinner baits towards shore.

- Watford City, One-Stop, Lake Sakakawea: Continued fair success on Lake Sakakawea.

- Watford City, Tobacco Garden Resort, Lake Sakakawea: Some slowing in success but anglers are still a few walleye.

Hunting

- NDGF Department game wardens: Doves are bunching, although no major concentrations are around northeastern North Dakota. Look for fair numbers in some areas of west-central North Dakota Grouse numbers could be fair in parts of North Dakota.

- West-central North Dakota: Doves are bunching and look for continued movement, although some birds will stick around until cold weather snap occurs.

- Southwest North Dakota: Hot weather will continue limiting deer movement.

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