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. Remember that anglers must be within 150 feet of their tip-ups and rods.

- Saturday: Spring light goose season opens, although birds are in the southern U.S. yet.

Tournaments

- Sat. and Sun.: Lake Sakakawea.

Fishing

- North Dakota Game and Fish Department District game wardens: Lake Tschida continues producing perch, small pike and lots of non-keeper sized walleye. No other reports from southwestern area lakes. Lake Sakakawea hit-and-miss for pike. Ice conditions vary greatly, especially around the upper end of Lake Sakakawea and the Missouri and Yellowstone rivers. McGregor Dam, Powers Lake, Smishek Lake and Noonan Mine fair.

- Bismarck, Dakota Tackle, Missouri River/area lakes: Some activity on Lake Audubon. Missouri River quiet although some darkhouse spearing for pike on Lake Sakakawea.

- 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 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: Skunk Bay still producing walleye on Lake Sakakawea. Try Independence Point in 25 feet. Tobacco Garden continues producing a mix of walleye and sauger with some pike, as well. Work deeper in the day and 15 to 20 feet during low light hours. Indian Creek producing good numbers of small perch. Sort through for the keeper perch. Occasional small walleye. Patterson Lake good for pike but slow for walleye. No reports from Lake Ilo.

- Garrison, Cenex Bait and Tackle, Lake Sakakawea: Lake Sakakawea fair throughout much of the east end for walleye and pike. Lake Audubon fair for walleye.

- Glen Ullin, Fitterer’s Inc., Lake Tschida: A few anglers on Lake Tschida.

- Mandan, Southside MVP, Missouri River/area lakes: Eckroth Bottoms south of Mandan still producing a few small walleye and occasional pike. Improving success at Douglas Bay on Lake Sakakawea. Limited reports from small area lakes.

- Pick City, Scott’s Bait and Tackle, Lake Sakakawea/Missouri River: Continued pike success from shore on the Missouri River. A few boats working down river with limited walleye success. Wing walls still producing some walleye. Lake Sakakawea slow but try Wolf Creek, Sakakawea State Park around Alcatraz and Beulah and Hazen bays for pike and walleye.

- New Town, Scenic 23, Lake Sakakawea: Van Hook Arm and Deepwater Bay fair for walleye but somewhat inconsistent with inconsistent weather patterns.

- Williston, Scenic Sports, Lake Sakakawea/Missouri River: Springbrook and Blacktail dams fair to good for perch. Trenton Lake continues producing crappie. Avoid pressure ridges on Lake Sakakawea with a pickup breaking through in the Williston area recently. The best areas on Lake Sakakawea are Lund’s Landing and White Earth Bay for walleye.

Downhill skiing

- Big Sky Resort, Big Sky, Mont.: 49- to 80-inch machine groomed, powder base with all runs and lifts open.

- Bridger Bowl Ski Area, Bozeman, Mont.: 53-inch machine groomed, packed powder base. All runs and lifts open.

- Huffs Hills Ski Area, Mandan: 12- to 20-inch base with 7 runs and 2 lifts open.

- Red Lodge Resort, Red Lodge, Mont.: 30- to 36-inch packed powder base with 44 runs and 5 lifts.

- Terry Peak Ski Area, Lead, S.D.: 18- to 28-inch base with all runs and all lifts open.

North Dakota Parks and Recreation Dept. cross-country ski trails

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

- Fort Stevenson, Garrison: Trails groomed and in fair condition but no new snow.

- Lake Metigoshe, Bottineau: Trails open and in good condition with more than 30 inches of snow.

Snowmobile North Dakota

- East-central (Cass and Richland counties): Fargo East, Fargo West, and Rural Cass South open with 5- to 11-inch base.

- Lake Region (Nelson and Ramsey counties) Trail 4 closed but all other trails open with 4- to 6-inch base.

- North-central (Benson, Pierce, Ramsey, McHenry and Towner counties): All trails open and groomed with 3- to 6-inch base.

- Northeast (Cavalier, Pembina and Walsh counties): All trails except Cavalier Trail open with 3 to 6-inch base.

- Peace Garden (Bottineau and Rolette counties): 4- to 6-inch snow depth with all trails except Trail 6 open and groomed.

- Red River North (Pembina and Walsh counties): Trails CR4, CR11, 15, 29, 66, 81N, and 81S open with 3- to 5-inch base. Trails 9, 12, 17, and 18 closed.

- Red River South (Grand Forks and Walsh counties): East and West loops open with 3- to 5-inch base. Alberta Clipper, Reynolds, and Turtle River trails will be groomed, weather permitting.

- Sno Trails (Bottineau, McHenry, Renville and Ward counties): Burlington, Deering, Deering East, Foxholm, Granville, Minot, Surry, Surrey South, and Towner trails open with 3- to 5-inch snow depth. Glenburn, Kramer, and Velva trails closed.

- Southern Valley (Richland County: All trails open with 4- to 6-inch base.

- Cattail, Mayville-Portland, Sargent, Sheyenne Valley, and Missouri Valley trails remain closed.

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