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.

Tournaments

- Saturday: Lake Sakakawea, Pick City.

- March 2: Theodore Roosevelt Chapter, Rocky Mtn. Elk Foundation, banquet. Dickinson.

Fishing

- North Dakota Game and Fish Department District game wardens: No reports from southwestern area lakes. Mixed walleye and pike success on Lake Sakakawea. Hit-and-miss success on Lake Audubon. Crooked Lake continues producing small perch and pike. Access is becoming more difficult on area lakes so be prepared in the event of getting stuck.

- Bismarck, Dakota Tackle, Missouri River/area lakes: Lake Audubon fair for walleye. Most spearing on Lake Sakakawea is around Wolf Creek. Some have been more than 15 pounds. Some activity at Sweetbriar Dam but overall success is slow. Fish Creek OK for trout. Harmon Lake fair for pike.

- Dickinson, Andrus Outdoors, Lake Sakakawea/area lakes: McKenzie and Skunk bays on Lake Sakakawea remains fair to good for walleye working 20 to 40 feet. Try jigs and minnows. Bowman-Haley Dam remains fair for walleye. Lake Tschida slow. Patterson Lake producing a few small walleye and some perch.

- Dickinson, Runnings Farm and Fleet, Lake Sakakawea/area lakes: Recent cold weather limiting activity.

- Garrison, Cenex Bait and Tackle, Lake Sakakawea: Continued fair but spotty for pike and walleye on Lake Sakakawea and Lake Audubon. Try Centennial, Douglas or Garrison bays on Sakakawea.

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

- Pick City, Scott’s Bait and Tackle, Lake Sakakawea/Missouri River: Weather permitting, anglers still finding some walleye down river of the Missouri River tailrace. Try jigs and minnows. Some shore success. Wing walls remain fair for walleye. Lots of pike throughout the river. A few trout in the tailrace. Lake Sakakawea fair for pike for both hook-and-line and spearing. Try 30 feet for walleye. Overall angler numbers are light on both the river and lake.

- New Town, Scenic 23, Lake Sakakawea: Van Hook Arm producing a few walleye with the best activity around 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. Try jigs and minnows.

- Watford City, One-Stop, Lake Sakakawea: Activity slowed on Tobacco Garden on Lake Sakakawea.

- Williston, Scenic Sports, Lake Sakakawea/Missouri River: Trenton Lake producing a few crappie. Try Trenton Lake and the Missouri River for pike with best success on the river around the pump house. Some walleye on the river, as well. Tobacco Garden on Lake Sakakawea slowed. No reports from small area lakes.

Downhill skiing

- Big Sky Resort, Big Sky, Mont.: 55- to 83-inch machine groomed and powder base. All runs and lifts open.

- Bridger Bowl Ski Area, Bozeman, Mont.: 62-inch machine groomed, packed powder base. All runs and lifts open.

- Huff Hills, Mandan: 18- to 20-inch base with 11 runs and 2 lifts open.

- Red Lodge Ski Area, Red Lodge, Mont: 36- 38-inch powder base with 59 runs and 6 lifts open.

- Ski Mystic at Deer Mtn., Lead, S.D.: 10- to 36-inch base with 35 runs and all lifts open.

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

North Dakota Parks and

Recreation Department cross-country ski trails

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

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

Snowmobile North Dakota

- East Central Valley (Cass and Richland counties): 4- to 28-inch base with all trails except Rural Cass North open and groomed.

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

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

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

- Peace Garden (Bottineau and Rolette counties): 4- to 6-inch base with all trails except Trail 6 open and groomed. Trails will be better in treed areas with wind blowing snow in open areas.

- Red River North (Pembina and Walsh counties): 4- to 6-inch base with all trails open and groomed.

- Red River South (Grand Forks and Walsh counties): 3- to 5-inch base with all trails open and groomed.

- Sargent (Richland and Sargent counties): 3- to 5-inch base with all trails open and groomed.

- Sheyenne Valley (Barnes, Dickey, LaMoure, Ransom, and Stutsman counties): 2- to 4- inch base but open trails are in poor condition. J-2, J-3, V-3, O-2, M-1, M-2, and McKinnes trails remain closed.

- Sno-Trails (Bottineau, McHenry, Renville, and Ward counties): 6- to 8-inch base with all trails except Glenburn and Surrey open and groomed.

- Southern Valley (Richland): 4- to 6-inch base with all trails open and groomed.

- Mayville-Portland, Cattail, and Missouri Valley trails 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: dakota recreation report, rec report, outdoors