Dakota Recreation Report: December 11, 2023

Outdoor notes:

*Current ice conditions on many lakes aren’t conducive for access. Ice is never completely safe. Avoid areas with vegetation, moving water, pressure ridges, and springs. Check conditions as you go along on the ice and don’t move around at night.

*Dec. 9: High Plains Duck season now open. Refer to N.D. Game & Fish Dept. regulations for open zone description.

*Dec. 13: Registration opens for Feb. 9 – 11, 2024 WOW, Wild Outdoor Women, Lake Metigoshe State Park. Go to the N.D. Parks & Recreation Dept. website, (parkrec.nd.gov) and click “All Events” under the event listing for details.

*Dec. 16: East Canada Goose Zone season closes.

*Dec. 17: Muzzleloader deer season closes.

*Dec. 21: West Canada Goose Zone closes.

Fishing:

*Devils Lake elevation, Dec. 5: 1,449.2 feet above mean sea level (MSL).

*Stump Lake elevation: 1,449.14 MSL.

*Lake Sakakawea elevation: 1,839.59 MSL; 17,200 cubic feet per second average (CFS) Garrison Dam daily releases.

*N.D. Game & Fish Dept. Dist. game wardens: No reports from throughout area lakes.

*Devils Lake, Ed’s Bait Shop, Devils Lake: Some walk-on activity on northern feeder lakes.

*Devils Lake, Woodland Resort, Devils Lake: Back bays and northern lakes icing over with some walk-on activity for walleye on northern lakes.

*Foster County area lakes, Dry Dock, Carrington: Beware of thin ice on area lakes as they ice over.

*Jamestown Reservoir, Sooper Stop, Jamestown: Area lakes icing over with anglers walking onto Pipestem Reservoir and finding some walleye activity. Jamestown Reservoir spotty.

*Lake Ashtabula, Bayshore, Valley City: Lake Ashtabula has patches of open water.

*Lake Sakakawea, Cenex Bait & Tackle, Garrison: Weather permitting, a few anglers are boat fishing for walleye on the east end of Lake Sakakawea, mostly working farther west around Douglas Bay and the midsection. Try jigs and minnows or jigging Raps in a variety of depths

*Lakes Audubon & Sakakawea, Hwy. 83 Lawn & Leisure, Garrison: Some boat activity on the east end of Lake Sakakawea, weather permitting. Try Douglas Bay.

*Lake Sakakawea/Lake Audubon/Missouri River, Scott’s Bait and Tackle, Pick City: No new reports from the Missouri River or Lake Sakakawea.

*Lonetree WMA area lakes, Harvey: No new reports.

Hunting:

*Upland: Continued fair success in some areas.

*Waterfowl: Canada geese still scattered on the open water along the east end of Lake Sakakawea with birds on the Missouri River as well. Birds are difficult to decoy and don’t go out to feed on a consistent basis. Some Canada geese along the upper end of Lake Sakakawea, as well, but birds moved out of north-central and much of the rest of the state without open water.

Numbers to know:

*N.D. Game and Fish Department, main Bismarck office: (701) 328-6300, website: (http://gf.nd.gov).

*N.D. Game and Fish Department, Devils Lake office: (701) 662-3617.

*N.D. Game & Fish Department, Jamestown office: (701) 253-6480.

*Report All Poachers: (701) 328-9921.