Dakota Recreation Report: November 27, 2023

Outdoor notes:

*Deer hunters need to beware of carcass and licensing transportation regulations.

*Beware of the potential for thin ice on wetlands and lakes when hunting, including when bird hunting with dogs.

*Please park out of the way of other vehicles and farm equipment on prairie roads and trails.

*Nov. 27: N.D. Game & Fish Dept. public advisory meeting, Esmond Fire Hall, 7 p.m.

*Nov. 27: Mountain lion Late Season Zone 1 opens.

*Nov. 29: Dove season closes.

*Dec. 1: Muzzleloader deer season opens.

*Dec. 3: High and Low Plains Duck seasons close.

Fishing:

*Devils Lake elevation, Nov. 20: 1,449.29 feet above mean sea level (MSL).

*Stump Lake elevation: 1,449.2 MSL.

*Lake Sakakawea elevation: 1,839.98 MSL; 17,000 cubic feet per second average (CFS) Garrison Dam daily releases.

*N.D. Game & Fish Dept. Dist. game wardens: No Devils Lake, Missouri River System, or area lake reports.

*Devils Lake, Ed’s Bait Shop, Devils Lake: Devils Lake generally quiet with only a few anglers on the water.

*Devils Lake, Woodland Resort, Devils Lake: Not many anglers but those fishing around the bridges and on the lake itself are trolling and finding nice fall walleye activity.

*Foster County area lakes, Dry Dock, Carrington: Not much activity throughout area lakes.

*Jamestown Reservoir, Sooper Stop, Jamestown: Limited reports with just a handful of anglers on the Jamestown Reservoir.

*Lake Ashtabula, Bayshore, Valley City: A few anglers on Lake Ashtabula with most activity around the crossing with some success. A skim of ice developing along the shoreline.

*Lake Sakakawea, Cenex Bait & Tackle, Garrison: No reports from the east end of Lake Sakakawea with some nice walleye showing up in the river portion around New Town in the midsection. Try creek chubs or minnows or crankbaits.

*Lakes Audubon & Sakakawea, Hwy. 83 Lawn & Leisure, Garrison: No activity on the east end of Lake Sakakawea or Lake Audubon.

*Lake Sakakawea/Lake Audubon/Missouri River, Scott’s Bait and Tackle, Pick City: Try the spillway channel from boats in the afternoon and evening for walleye on the Missouri River using jigs and minnows. A few fish taken shore-fishing or from the wing walls. Overall limited angler numbers, though. Lake Sakakawea quiet.

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

Hunting:

*Deer: Rut seems to be peaking for deer activity.

*Upland: Pockets of nice pheasant numbers yet in some areas.

*Waterfowl: Limited waterfowl numbers in areas with open water in central N.D/ and around Devils Lake. Some diving ducks also on the open water of Devils Lake yet. Fair numbers of Canada geese with some light geese remain along the east end of the Missouri River System. Good numbers of Canada geese along the river itself.

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.