OUTDOOR NOTES
Sunday: Sandhill crane Zone 1 closes.
Monday: Saskatchewan's South District Grouse and Partridge Zone closes for non-Saskatchewan residents.
Nov. 18: M5 and M6 moose season opens.
Nov. 20: Deer gun season closes.
Nov. 21: Zone 1 late season mountain lion hunting opens.
Fact Box
The Dakota Recreation Report is compiled by Patricia Stockdill, a freelance writer who lives in Garrison.
FISHING
N.D. Game & Fish Dept. Dist. game wardens: Missouri River below Garrison Dam remains good for walleye. Missouri and Yellowstone rivers in the Williston area continue producing a nice fall walleye and sauger bite.
Bismarck, Dakota Tackle, Missouri River and area lakes: A few anglers still on the Missouri River with boat and shore-fishing activity around Eckroth Bottoms and Hazelton area. Spotty walleye success. Continued activity on the Missouri River tailrace, especially at night, weather permitting.
Bottineau, Four Seasons, Lake Metigoshe: Some nice-sized walleye being taken but lake gets a skim of ice in the mornings.
Coleharbor, Totten Trail Restaurant, Lakes Audubon and Sakakawea: No reports of activity, although a few northern pike anglers working the east end culvert between North Lake and Lake Audubon.
Devils Lake, Ed's Bait, Devils Lake: Limited numbers of anglers on the lake but those going continue finding good success. Troll the Golden Highway or Pelican Ridge in Pelican Lake or jig any deep structure in the main lake.
Devils Lake, Woodland Resort, Devils Lake: Not much activity but those going continue finding nice-sized walleye. Try pitching crankbaits or jigging along the rock piles.
Dickinson, Andrus Outdoors, Lake Sakakawea and area lakes: Limited activity with deer season underway.
Garrison, Cenex Bait & Tackle, Lakes Audubon and Sakakawea: No reports from Lake Sakakawea, Lake Audubon or the Missouri River with cooler weather and deer hunting under way.
Garrison, Six-Mile Bait & Tackle, Lakes Audubon and Sakakawea: Limited reports.
Harvey, Coal Mine Lake and area lakes: Coal Mine Lake closed until ice-over. Light activity on Harvey Dam but a few northern pike still being caught. Continued pike, walleye and perch activity but few anglers out on Goose Lake.
New Town, Scenic 23, Lake Sakakawea: No activity.
Pick City, Scott's Bait & Tackle, Lake Sakakawea / Missouri River: Lake Sakakawea quiet. Missouri River remains good for walleye with a few trout and salmon mixed in. Try a variety of presentations ranging from live bait down river to pulling crankbaits in the chutes. Try casting crankbaits from shore, also. Evening bite remains the most successful.
Ruthville, Ruthville Store, Lake Darling and area lakes: Not many anglers out but the few going are still getting some northern pike. Try Baker's Bridge or Grano.
Williston, Scenic Sports, Lake Sakakawea / Missouri River and area lakes: Not many anglers on the river near Williston but those going out continue finding nice walleye success.
LAKE LEVELS
Devils Lake elevation, Nov. 9 : 1,453.44 feet above mean sea level.
Stump Lake elevation, Nov. 9 : 1,453.54 feet.
Lake Sakakawea elevation, Nov. 9 : 1,841.5 feet; 28,500 cubic feet per second average (cfs) Garrison Dam daily releases.
HUNTING
N.D. Game & Fish Dept. game wardens: Waterfowl numbers continue to be strong in central and south-central Barnes and Stutsman counties, up to the Devils Lake region and over to Harvey.
Arrowwood NWR, Pingree: Migration is underway with good or at least improving numbers of mallards in the region. Canada geese are numbering in the several hundreds rather than small numbers in Stutsman County with smaller flocks reported elsewhere. Snow geese moving in, as well, with small flocks observed in and around Stutsman County and areas north. Swan numbers also increased with most observed in Foster and throughout Stutsman counties. Good numbers of divers remain. Water conditions remain good so birds are spread out. Almost all crops are harvested. Deer opener went well in the area with reports of fair success - both does and bucks, but talk of less deer. Most walkers were seeing deer, drivers not so much.
Lonetree WMA, Harvey: Most deer hunters reporting poor success with fewer deer seen than in recent years. Good numbers of geese in the area and some ducks but no major migration of ducks observed yet. Fair at best for upland game.
Lostwood NWR, Powers Lake: Colder weather iced over most small wetlands, moving numbers of waterfowl out. Some Canada geese and field feeding waterfowl remain, however. Good swan numbers at Powers Lake early in the week but everything changes in a downward trend daily.
North-central N.D.: Region received snow over the past weekend. Lots of mallards moved through late last week.
Northeast N.D.: Deer hunters finding tough success. A few ducks moved into the region but not any big movement. Overall hunters are finding slow to fair success with pockets of good numbers of waterfowl in some areas. Some swans moving through.
Northwest N.D.: Hunters struggling to find deer. Lots of snow geese moving through areas around the midsection of Lake Sakakawea with some lessers moving in, too.
West-central N.D.: Good numbers of waterfowl moved into the region with the cooler weather. A few more pheasants showing up with the ongoing row crop harvest. Mixed success from the opening weekend of deer season.