Dakota Recreation Report

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Outdoor notes

- Friday: Cannonball Ducks Unlimited banquet, Elson, Our Place Café, 5:30 p.m.

- Saturday: Friends of the NRA banquet, Dickinson Elks Club, 5:30 p.m.

- Saturday: MonDak Pheasants Forever (PF) banquet, Old Armory, Williston, 6 p.m.

- Tuesday: Dove season closes.

- Nov. 3: Square Butte Creek PF banquet, Center Memorial Civic Center, 5:30 p.m.

- Nov. 5: Woodcock season closes.

- Nov. 9: Deer gun season opens.

Fishing

- North Dakota Game and Fish Department District game wardens: Improving success on the Missouri and Yellowstone rivers. Spotty walleye success on the Missouri River below Garrison Dam and Lake Sakakawea. Limited activity around the midsection.

- Bismarck, Dakota Tackle, Missouri River/area lakes: Some walleye activity on the Missouri River. Try Cherry Lake, Eckroth Bottoms or Moffit Creek for pike using herring or smelt. Missouri River tailrace remains OK for walleye. Limited salmon reports from Lake Sakakawea or the tailrace.

- Dickinson, Andrus Outdoors, Lake Sakakawea/area lakes: Little to no activity on Lake Sakakawea or area lakes.

- Dickinson, Runnings Farm and Fleet, Lake Sakakawea/area lakes: Limited angler numbers on Lake Sakakawea but those going to 5 to 15 feet around McKenzie Bay of the Little Missouri River Arm. Van Hook Arm also producing nice-sized walleye last week. Missouri River has less activity and river levels are low.

- Garrison, Cenex Bait and Tackle, Lake Sakakawea: Improving walleye success on Lake Audubon. Try the east end embankment along the culverts in the morning. East end of Lake Sakakawea improving for walleye, pike and variety of species. Look for success along the east end embankment.

- Glen Ullin, Fitterer’s Inc., Lake Tschida: A few anglers on the lake but no reports.

- Mandan, Southside MVP, Missouri River/area lakes: Walleye activity slowed on the Missouri River with light fishing pressure.

- Pick City, Scott’s Bait and Tackle, Lake Sakakawea/Missouri River: Continued meager salmon bite from shore on Lake Sakakawea but good numbers in the bays. Try Mepps spinners, spoons, salmon eggs or nightcrawlers. Occasional walleye from the lake. Try 30 feet but move around. Overall limited walleye angler activity, but try Steinke or Douglas bays. Missouri River continues producing success. Try jigs or spinners with minnows or nightcrawlers. Chutes continue producing trout, salmon and walleye with a few catfish mixed in. Try 3-way swivels. Wing walls starting to show some small walleye success. Fair to good for walleye using spinners and bottom bouncers on Lake Audubon.

- New Town, Scenic 23, Lake Sakakawea: Walleye activity slowed, likely due to the weather. Look for the fall walleye bite to pick up if there is stable weather.

- Watford City, One-Stop, Lake Sakakawea: Some activity on Lake Sakakawea but no reports.

- Watford City, Tobacco Garden Resort, Lake Sakakawea: Weather limiting activity, although a few anglers are going out. No reports, however.

- Williston, Scenic Sports, Lake Sakakawea/Missouri River: Missouri River was good for nice-sized walleye prior to recent rain and weather change.

Hunting

- NDGF Department: Northwestern pheasants continue finding a few birds but not many waterfowl hunters in the field. A few are finding some birds in Divide County. A few more waterfowl moving in along the north side of Lake Sakakawea’s east end. Fair pheasant success around the midsection of Lake Sakakawea with a few more waterfowl starting to stack up on area wetlands. Lots of pheasant activity with good success in southwest North Dakota.

- Northwest North Dakota: Fair to good pheasant success. Not many pheasants around the midsection of the Lake Sakakawea with some limited waterfowl numbers moving in that region. Williston area has increasing waterfowl movement and look for more northern birds to move in.

- Southwest North Dakota: Lots of pheasant hunters in the region with overall good success.

- West-central North Dakota: A few more Canada geese moving in with good duck numbers yet. Some cranes and swans in the area around the east end of Lake Sakakawea. Fair to good pheasant success.

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: rec report, dakota recreation report, outdoors