Dakota Recreation Report

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Outdoor notes

- Ice is never completely safe. Avoid areas with vegetation, moving water, pressure ridges, and springs. Check with local bait shops for any ice condition information.

- Spring turkey applications now available. Download applications or apply online, North Dakota Game and Fish Department website, (gf.nd.gov).

- Saturday: Heritage Outbound Adventure, Fort Clark State Historic Site.

- Saturday: Northern Chapter Mule Deer Foundation banquet, Bismarck AMVETS.

- Feb. 13: Spring turkey applications due.

Tournaments

- Saturday: Lake Audubon.

- Feb. 16 and 17: Lake Sakakawea.

Fishing

- NDGF Department District game wardens: More anglers on area west Missouri River lakes but overall success was slow. Perch lakes probably produced the best but that was also variable success. No other southwestern area lake reports. Wolf Creek fair for pike on Lake Sakakawea. Van Hook, New Town, and White Earth Bay slow to fair for walleye and sauger. West end of Lake Sakakawea remains fair to good with most activity around Tobacco Garden. Lake Audubon remains fair at best and spotty for walleye and perch.

- Bismarck, Dakota Tackle, Missouri River/area lakes: Anglers continue going to Lake Audubon and Crooked Lake. Fort Yates area is slow on Lake Oahe. Some activity on Sweetbriar Dam but fair at best. OK trout success at Fish Creek with occasional crappie.

- Dickinson, Andrus Outdoors, Lake Sakakawea/area lakes: Try 24 to 45 feet for walleye around Skunk Bay on Lake Sakakawea with best success in the evening. Try Fish Point in Mossett Bay in 18 to 35 feet for walleye. Elmer’s Point in McKenzie Bay producing walleye success in shallower water of 8 to 30 feet. Some pike and ling mixed in. Bowman-Haley Dam producing perch and walleye using minnows. Indian Creek Dam remains good for perch and a few small walleye. Lake Tschida slowed. Patterson Lake producing 13- to 15-inch walleye with a few pike and perch mixed in. Lake Ilo continues producing 5- to 7-pound pike as shallow as 2 feet along the shoreline. Some perch mixed in. Camels Hump Dam fair for trout.

- Dickinson, Runnings Farm and Fleet, Lake Sakakawea/area lakes: Good numbers of anglers out but limited reports from Lake Sakakawea and area lakes.

- Garrison, Cenex Bait and Tackle, Lake Sakakawea: Continued walleye success on Lake Sakakawea around Douglas, Centennial, and Steinke bays. Some pike mixed in. Watch pressure ridge around the mouth of Garrison Bay and don’t cross because of thin and dangerous ice. Lake Audubon fair for walleye around the U.S. Highway 83 embankment and East Totten Trail. Some pike, as well. No Missouri River reports.

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

- Mandan, Southside MVP, Missouri River/area lakes: Fort Rice and Eckroth Bottoms producing small walleye on Lake Oahe. Lake Audubon slowed. Sweetbriar fair for small perch with occasional walleye.

- Pick City, Scott’s Bait and Tackle, Lake Sakakawea/Missouri River: Spotty walleye success from the Missouri River wing walls. Limited activity down river in boats on the river. Try Wolf Creek on Lake Sakakawea for walleye with somewhat better pike success. Overall, the lake is spotty.

- New Town, Scenic 23, Lake Sakakawea: Van Hook Arm producing a few walleye but overall somewhat slow.

- Watford City, One-Stop, Lake Sakakawea: Inconsistent weather fronts slowing activity and success on Lake Sakakawea.

- Williston, Scenic Sports, Lake Sakakawea/Missouri River: Continued walleye and sauger success around Tobacco Garden on Lake Sakakawea. Work deep around White Earth Bay. Try to locate areas without current on the Missouri River using heavy jigs. Better success is coming from the Montana section of the river.

Downhill skiing

- Big Sky Resort, Big Sky, Mont.: 47- to 74-inch machine groomed, powder base. All runs and lifts open.

- Bridger Bowl Resort, Bozeman, Mont.: 56-inch machine groomed, packed powder base. All runs and 6 lifts open.

- Huff Hills, Mandan: 12- to 20-inch base with 7 groomed runs and 2 lifts open.

- Red Lodge Ski Area, Red Lodge, Mont.: 28- to 34-inch machine groomed, packed powder base with 30 runs and 5 lifts open.

- Terry Peak Ski Area, Lead, S.D.: 22- to 26-inch base with 13 runs and 4 lifts open.

North Dakota Parks and Recreation Department cross-country ski trails

- Cross Ranch, Hensler: Trails open and in fair condition.

- Fort Stevenson, Garrison: Trails open and in good condition.

- Lake Metigoshe, Bottineau: All trails open and in good condition with about 28-inch base.

Snowmobile North Dakota

- East-Central Valley: Rural Cass North Trail closed but other trails open and groomed with 4- to 9-inch base.

- Lake Region, Nelson and Ramsey counties: Trails 4 and 5 closed but other trails open and groomed with 3- to 6-inch base.

- North-central, Benson, McHenry, Pierce, Ramsey, and Towner counties: NC Trail 2 closed but all other trails open with 3- to 6-inch base. Rugby trails not groomed this past week but other open trails are groomed.

- Northeast, Cavalier, Pembina, and Walsh counties: Cavalier Trail closed but other trails open with 3- to 6-inch base. NESCA trail open but ungroomed.

- Peace Garden, Bottineau and Rolette counties: Trail 6 closed but all other trails open and groomed with 3- to 5-inch base.

- Sno Trails, Bottineau, Renville, McHenry, and Ward counties: Burlington, Foxholm, and Minot trails open and groomed. 4- to 5-inch base.

- Southern Valley, Richland County: All trails open and groomed with 3- to 5-inch base.

- All other trails remain closed until more snow for grooming.

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: dakota recreation report, rec report, outdoors