Dakota Recreation Report

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Outdoor notes

- Sunday: Deer gun season closes.

- Sunday: Zone 1 mountain lion late season opens, including pursuit with dogs.

- Monday: North Dakota Game and Fish Department public advisory board meeting, Game and Fish office, 100 N. Bismarck Expressway, 7 p.m.

- Monday: Arrowwood, Audubon, Des Lacs, J. Clark Salyer, Lake Alice, Lake Zahl, Long Lake, Lostwood, Tewaukon (pheasants only) and Upper Souris National Wildlife Refuges open for upland game bird hunting. Contact refuges for special regulations and closed areas.

- Wednesday: NDGF Department public advisory board meeting, 528 21st St. W., Dickinson, 7 p.m.

- Nov. 30: Deer muzzleloader season opens.

- Dec. 1: Future of Hunting in North Dakota conference, 8 a.m., Doublewood Inn, Bismarck.

- Dec. 1: Darkhouse spearing opens. See regulations for list of closed lakes.

Fishing

- NDGF Department District game wardens: Lake Tschida opened up with recent warm weather with some activity but no reports. No activity on other southwestern lakes. Small northwestern lakes iced over but unsafe ice conditions remain on area lakes yet. A few anglers braving the back bays on the east end of Lake Audubon. Beware of ice conditions with warm weather.

- Bismarck, Dakota Tackle, Missouri River/area lakes: Missouri River tailrace spotty. Some northern area lakes starting to get ice but use extreme caution if considering venturing out.

- Dickinson, Andrus Outdoors, Lake Sakakawea/area lakes: Some activity on Lake Sakakawea around Mossett Bay in 18 to 25 feet using minnows and jigs. Try 7 to 12 feet for walleye on Lake Tschida. Camels Hump Dam open earlier in the week with fair trout success. Lake Audubon also seeing a little activity. Missouri River tailrace producing nice walleye from shore off the rocks at night.

- Dickinson, Runnings Farm and Fleet, Lake Sakakawea/area lakes: Not much activity but look for nice-sized walleye in the Missouri River tailrace.

- Garrison, Cenex Bait and Tackle, Lake Sakakawea: Lake Sakakawea and Lake Audubon remain quiet. No reports from the Missouri River.

- Glen Ullin, Fitterer’s Inc., Lake Tschida: A few anglers venturing out but no success.

- Pick City, Scott’s Bait and Tackle, Lake Sakakawea/Missouri River: Continued success on the Missouri River from both boat and shore. Try live bait or plastics anchored and jigging down river or 3-way swivels in the chutes. Shore-fishing OK during the day with better success in morning and evening. Crankbaits continue providing the best success. Overall fair success. No reports from Lake Sakakawea.

- New Town, Scenic 23, Lake Sakakawea: Deepwater Bay and Pouch Point ramps still open, weather permitting, with anglers finding good walleye success in 25 to 30 feet using jigs and minnows.

- Watford City, One-Stop, Lake Sakakawea: Some activity on the Missouri River around Williston but no reports on success.

- Williston, Scenic Sports, Lake Sakakawea/Missouri River: Some boat activity around White Earth Bay on Lake Sakakawea, weather permitting. Northwestern small lakes icing over but limited success so far.

Hunting

- NDGF Department game wardens: Southwestern deer hunters having fair to good success with the rut underway. Not much deer hunting activity in the northwest. Marginal pheasant success in the northwest, too, and most waterfowl migrated out.

- Northwest North Dakota: Some Canada geese remain around the midsection of Lake Sakakawea with fair success. Pheasants becoming spooky around the Williston area but fair numbers remain in the area.

- Southwest North Dakota: Fair deer success but fewer deer numbers. Rut is in full swing with some nice deer taken. Pheasant success remains good. Canada geese are moving onto larger water bodies in the area.

- West-central North Dakota: Continued good Canada goose numbers remain throughout the area. OK deer success. Pheasants are starting to get a little spooky.

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