Dakota Recreation Report
Outdoor notes n Remember fire danger remains high in several areas of North Dakota and avoid driving off-trail and on section line trails with high grass.
Outdoor notes
n Remember fire danger remains high in several areas of North Dakota and avoid driving off-trail and on section line trails with high grass.
n North Dakota Game and Fish Department taking registration for Oct. 24-28 Becoming an Outdoors-Woman bow-hunting workshop, Lake Metigoshe State Park, Bottineau. Contact BOW coordinators Nancy Boldt, 701-328-6312, or Brittany Fish, 701-527-3075, or email ndgf@nd.gov or go to the website, (gf.nd.gov) for details.
n Friday: Knife River Pheasants Forever (PF), Grandview Restaurant, Beulah, 6 p.m.
n Saturday: Southwestern Area PF banquet, Dickinson Elks Club, 6 p.m.
n Sunday: Unit 2 crane, fall crow seasons close.
n Oct. 27: MonDak PF banquet, Williston Old Armory, 6 p.m.
n Oct. 27: Mink, muskrat, and weasel trapping seasons start.
n Oct. 27: Friends of the NRA banquet, Dickinson Elks Club, 5:30 p.m.
n Oct. 30: Dove season closes.
Tournaments
n Saturday: Upper Missouri River, Lewis and Clark Bridge.
Fishing
n NDGF Department District game wardens: No reports from southwestern lakes. Little fishing activity on Lake Sakakawea with improving success on the Yellowstone and Missouri rivers around Williston.
n Bismarck, Dakota Tackle, Missouri River/area lakes: Missouri River continues dropping in elevation but continued small walleye success around the casino south of Mandan. Try jigs and minnows, nightcrawlers or Gulp. Some shore-fishing success with fish running a bit larger. Tailrace remains fair. Try herring for pike on small area lakes. Slower salmon success on Lake Sakakawea. Try around Sakakawea State Park.
n Dickinson, Andrus Outdoors, Lake Sakakawea/area lakes: Limited fishing activity on Lake Sakakawea and small area lakes. Pick City area on Lake Sakakawea producing salmon using No. 5 Mepps spinners or No. 7 shadraps.
n Dickinson, Runnings Farm and Fleet, Lake Sakakawea/area lakes: Improving walleye success around McKenzie Bay on Lake Sakakawea. Try 5 to 15 feet using jigs and minnows or crankbaits. No reports from the Missouri River. Lake Sakakawea fair for salmon around Riverdale Bluffs and Pick City. Try spoons, although success is somewhat spotty.
n Garrison, Cenex Bait and Tackle, Lake Sakakawea: Limited activity on Lake Sakakawea, Lake Audubon and the Missouri River.
n Glen Ullin, Fitterer’s Inc., Lake Tschida: A few anglers on Lake Tschida finding nice smallmouth bass.
n Mandan, Southside MVP, Missouri River/area lakes: Continued fair walleye success on the Missouri River.
n Pick City, Scott’s Bait and Tackle, Lake Sakakawea/Missouri River: Some salmon success continues from boat and shore on Lake Sakakawea, although numbers aren’t as strong. Try Mepps spinners, spoons or suspended rattling crankbaits around Scoria or Government bays. Limited walleye bite but limited angler numbers, too. Work deep in 40 feet with spinners and heavy bottom bouncers with minnows and nightcrawlers. Good smallmouth bass success. Missouri River continues producing small walleye down river using jigs and minnows or spinners and nightcrawlers. Tailrace chutes continues producing a few walleye, trout and salmon. Catfish slowed but good drum success. Sundown to sun-up is the best time for fishing along the rocks using crankbaits.
n New Town, Scenic 23, Lake Sakakawea: Good for nice-sized walleye in 24 to 34 feet using jigs and minnows. Try Fox Island or Lonetree in the Van Hook Arm. A nice fall walleye is on.
n Watford City, Tobacco Garden Resort, Lake Sakakawea: Limited activity. Those going out are finding limited success.
n Williston, Scenic Sports, Lake Sakakawea/Missouri River: River is fair and improving slightly. Limited reports from Lake Sakakawea.
Hunting
n NDGF Department game wardens: Good pheasant success throughout southwestern North Dakota with lots of corn and sunflower crops harvested. Focus on areas with water, with dry conditions concentrating birds. Lots of pheasant activity around the eastern part of Lake Sakakawea. Fair success across northwest North Dakota.
n Northwest North Dakota: Lots of pheasant hunting activity with fair to good success. A few geese starting to move in.
n Southwest North Dakota: Good pheasant success throughout the region. Bowhunters finding fair to good success. Good waterfowl success in areas with good water.
n West-central North Dakota: Generally fair to good pheasant success. Good numbers of ducks and geese still in the area with cranes and lesser Canada geese along the northern tier of McLean County.
Numbers to know
n NDGF Department main Bismarck office: 701-328-6300; website (http://gf.nd.gov).
n NDGF Department Dickinson office: 701-227-7431.
n Report All Poachers: 800-472-2121.
n U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Bismarck, website: (www.fws.gov/north
dakotafieldoffice).
Patricia Stockdill
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