OUTDOOR NOTES
Friday and Saturday: Year of the Turtle amphitheater presentations, Lake Metigoshe State Park.
Sunday: School Section Lake canoeing adventure, Lake Metigoshe State Park, 10 a.m. Meet at the warming house.
Wednesday: Third deer lottery applications due.
Aug. 12: Blue Goose Conservation Day, Audubon Nat'l Wildlife Refuge, 5 p.m.
Aug. 17: Swan applications due.
Fact Box
The Dakota Recreation Report is compiled by Patricia Stockdill, a freelance writer who lives in Garrison.
Tournaments: Saturday: Devils Lake. Saturday and Sunday: Lake Sakakawea, Indian Hills Resort. Aug. 13: Devils Lake, Grahams Island State Park; Lake Audubon; Lake Sakakawea White Earth Bay.
FISHING
N.D. Game & Fish Dept. Dist. game wardens: Lake Sakakawea, Lake Audubon and small area lakes fair but spotty for walleye. Continue working shallow on the east end of Lake Sakakawea. White Earth Bay slow. Van Hook Arm slow to fair but spotty and inconsistent for walleye. Missouri River good for walleye with anglers accessing from open ramps.
Beulah, Dakota Waters Resort, Lake Saka-kawea: Continued improving walleye success working west of the resort along the north and south shore in 12 feet with spinners and nightcrawlers.
Bismarck, Dakota Tackle, Missouri River / area lakes: Most activity is on small area lakes or Lake Audubon and Lake Sakakawea. A few anglers working Beaver Bay to the south on Lake Oahe but limited reports on success.
Bottineau, Four Seasons, Lake Metigoshe: Continued bluegill success using nightcrawlers.
Coleharbor, Totten Trail Restaurant, Lakes Audubon and Saka-kawea: Anglers working harder for walleye on Lake Audubon, but good numbers of nice-sized smallmouth bass. Try 15 feet using Lindy rigs with leeches or nightcrawlers with colored hooks. The bite is soft and light with heavy bottom bouncers. Most activity on Lake Sakakawea is farther upstream around Indian Hills and west to Van Hook.
Devils Lake, Ed's Bait, Devils Lake: Continued good for small walleye using spinners and bottom bouncers with leeches or nightcrawlers. Try pitching crankbaits or trolling in deeper water for bigger fish. Areas to work include Knudson's or New Mil bays. Troll East Bay with larger crankbaits for northern pike. Good for white bass around Jerusalem Bay and Woods-Routen Road.
Devils Lake, Woodland Resort, Devils Lake: Lots of small walleye. Sort through for keepers. Fish are scattered throughout much of the lake. Try trolling spinners and nightcrawlers or slip-bobbers in the weed beds for small walleye but work deeper for bigger fish. Continued northern pike success in areas where anglers are getting walleye. White bass remain good, as well.
Dickinson, Andrus Out- doors, Lake Sakakawea / area lakes: Improving walleye success around Mel's, McKenzie and Mossett bays on Lake Sakakawea in variety of depths, from 3 to 5 feet down to 16 to 22 feet. Try Lindy rigs or spinners with nightcrawlers. Work crankbaits in the shallows, as well. Good numbers of nice-sized smallmouth bass mixed in. Continued success around New Town with spinners and nightcrawlers. Also try the north end of the Van Hook Arm.
Foxholm, Upper Souris NWR, Lake Darling: Lots of fishing activity around Grano with spotty and inconsistent walleye success.
Garrison, Cenex Bait & Tackle, Lakes Audubon and Sakakawea: Walleye on Lake Sakakawea transitioning into somewhat deeper water but continue working shallow as well as the main lake, especially when fishing Deepwater Bay and Indian Hills areas. Work sunken humps in 15 to 25 feet on Lake Audubon for continued fair success.
Garrison, Indian Hills Resort, Lake Sakakawea: Improved walleye success using spinners in 8 to 13 feet with nightcrawlers working both the north and south shore points. Fish are nice-sized up to 5 pounds. Some limits are being taken. The bite finally turned on.
Garrison, Six-Mile Bait & Tackle, Lakes Audubon and Sakakawea: Work shallow on the east end of Lake Sakakawea for walleye. Try spinners with nightcrawlers or leeches in 8 to 12 feet for walleye on Lake Audubon.
Harvey, Coal Mine Lake and area lakes: Coal Mine Lake and Harvey Dam fair for northern pike. Goose Lake remains fair to good for pike and walleye.
Mandan, Southside MVP, Missouri River / area lakes: Continued small walleye success around Fort Rice and Cattail Bay on Lake Oahe, although limited angler numbers.
Mandaree, McKenzie Bay Marina, Lake Saka-kawea: Improving walleye success with more activity around the mouth of the Little Missouri Arm, although activity is also around the beacon and pump house using nightcrawlers in 12 to 20 feet. Anglers are working to catch fish but they're seeing better numbers. Good northern pike numbers.
New Town, Scenic 23, Lake Sakakawea: Continued walleye activity with better success around the southern end of the Van Hook Arm around Deepwater and the slides in 21 to 23 feet using spinners or Lindy rigs with nightcrawlers.
New Town, Van Hook Bait & Tackle, Lake Saka-kawea: Walleye activity is spottier with more activity farther south in the Van Hook Arm in 20 to 27 feet using spinners and nightcrawlers with some success now with minnows.
Pick City, Scott's Bait & Tackle, Lake Saka-kawea / Missouri River: The east end of Lake Sakakawea is producing some walleye, although not consistent numbers, in 8 to 10 feet using spinners with bottom bouncers and nightcrawlers or working the weed edges. Lots of skipjacks and small perch mixed in. Try the back end of Douglas Bay. Also try crankbaits in 20 feet. Some salmon success along the face of the dam with anglers catching a few fish but nothing consistent. Good numbers of northern pike and smallmouth bass in the bays. Lake Audubon spotty for walleye, but more consistent than Lake Sakakawea.
Ruthville, Ruthville Store, Lake Darling and area lakes: Continued walleye and northern pike activity around Grano and Greene.
White Earth, White Earth Bay Trading Post, Lake Sakakawea: Fair for walleye, weather permitting, in between storm fronts.
Williston, Scenic Sports, Lake Saka-kawea / Missouri River / area lakes: The west end of Lake Sakakawea is tougher for fishing, perhaps because of unstable weather. Anglers are getting a few fish but nothing consistent in terms of presentation, depth or location.
LAKE LEVELS
Devils Lake elevation, Aug. 3: 1,454.25 feet above mean sea level.
Stump Lake elevation, Aug. 3: 1,454.18 feet.
Lake Sakakawea elevation, Aug. 3: 1851.1 feet; 110,000 cubic feet per second average (cfs) Garrison Dam daily releases.
RAMP REPORT
Lake Darling ramp update: Landing 3 ramp now open along with the spillway, Landing 1, Greene and Grano ramps. Outlet Fishing Area is open but no cleanup maintenance has been underway yet.
Usable Devils Lake ramps: Round Lake, Pelican Lake, 6-Mile Bay, Creel Bay, Spirit Lake Casino. Grahams Island State park ramp is accessible but access is day-to-day. Call 766-4015 for updates.
Usable Missouri River ramps: Stanton, UPA, Steckel, Fort Rice. All other ramps closed. Idle speed only from 1,000 feet south of the Steckel boat ramp on the Missouri River to MacLean Bottoms, including MacLean Bottoms. No boating from sunset to sunrise in that same area.
STREAMFLOWS
North Dakota river levels and streamflow, Aug. 3:
Des Lacs River gauge, Burlington: River stage, 15.51 feet.
Des Lacs River gauge, Foxholm: River stage, 8.56 feet; streamflow, 358 cfs.
Little Missouri gauge, Long X: River stage, 0.69 feet; streamflow, 236 cfs.
Missouri River, Williston gauge: River stage, 25.05 feet.
Missouri River, Stanton, gauge: River stage, 21.23 feet.
Souris River, Foxholm gauge: Streamflow, 2,690 cfs.
Souris River, Minot gauge: River stage, 13.87 feet; streamflow, 2,940 cfs.
Yellowstone River, Sidney, Mont., gauge: River stage, 10.23 feet; streamflow, 28,400 cfs.