OUTDOOR NOTES
Today: Missouri River Canada Goose Zone season closes.
Sunday: High Plains Duck Unit, merganser, coot and swan seasons close.
Jan. 8: Archery deer, pheasant, ruffed grouse, partridge, squirrel and fall turkey seasons close.
FISHING
N.D. Game & Fish Dept. Dist. game wardens: Missouri River remains good for walleye with better success from boats. Lake Audubon fair for 15- to 16-inch walleye but watch ice conditions with so many springs on the lake and the recent warm weather creating water on the ice. Ice depths vary. Brush and Crooked lakes producing a mix of perch with occasional northern pike and walleye. Loon Lake producing perch. Some activity on Lake Metigoshe, as well.
Fact Box
The Dakota Recreation Report is compiled by Patricia Stockdill, a freelance writer who lives in Garrison.
Bismarck, Dakota Tackle, Missouri River / area lakes: Brush Lake remains fair for perch, northern pike and walleye. Crooked Lake also good for perch. Try the northeast corner or Nelson Bay on Lake Audubon for walleye in 5 to 17 feet. Beaver Bay on Lake Oahe remains fair for walleye and pike.
Bottineau, Four Seasons, Lake Metigoshe: Fair to good for walleye using minnows with northern pike success using smelt. Loon Lake remains good for perch.
Bottineau, Lake Metigoshe State Park, Lake Metigoshe: Lake Metigoshe producing a mix of walleye, northern pike and perch.
Coleharbor, Totten Trail Restaurant, Lakes Audubon and Saka-kawea: Fair for walleye and perch with a good number of anglers on the ice. Missouri River tailrace producing nice-sized walleye and some salmon.
Devils Lake, Ed's Bait, Devils Lake: Continued good walleye success on Lake Irvine, Minnewaukan Flats, Mission Bay, Stromme's Addition and Fort Totten area. Try rattling jigs with minnow heads. Continued northern pike success on the small lakes north of Devils Lake and Lake Irvine. Some perch success on Black Tiger and East bays.
Devils Lake, Woodland Resort, Devils Lake: East Bay starting to produce perch in 10 feet. Lots of small walleye throughout most of the lake, including some bigger fish on Lake Irvine. Try the north end of 6-Mile Bay, Creel Bay, Walford's Bay or Rocky Point for a mix of pike, perch and walleye. Try minnows with buckshots or plain hook.
Dickinson, Andrus Outdoors, Lake Sakakawea / area lakes: Tobacco Garden on Lake Sakakawea fair for nice-sized walleye with some bigger northern pike mixed in. Try 28 to 50 feet using jigging spoon and minnow head.
Estevan, Saskatche-wan Environment, Rafferty Dam and area lakes: Rafferty Dam good around the Hitchcock access area west of Estevan and the north side of the lake with fish running more than a pound. Most activity remains in the bays. No reports from Alameda or Boundary dams but some anglers are working the open water at the hot water return on Boundary Dam. Anglers can use 2 lines when ice-fishing but no live bait is allowed.
Foxholm, Upper Souris NWR, Lake Darling: Recent warm weather deteriorated ice conditions on Lake Darling with some open water areas and water on top of the ice. Use extreme caution and walking access recommended. Spotty walleye success, at best, with occasional perch. Best area is likely the Outlet Fishing Area, which is still open and continues producing test.
Garrison, Cenex Bait & Tackle, Lakes Audu- bon and Sakakawea: Warm weather is creating poor ice conditions in many areas, although Lake Audubon producing fair walleye success from 9-Mile Bay to the east end as well as around Nelson Bay. Missouri River still producing walleye.
Garrison, Six-Mile Bait & Tackle, Lakes Audubon and Saka-kawea: Lake Audubon remains fair for walleye. Continued walleye success on the Missouri River.
Mandan, Southside MVP, Missouri River / area lakes: Lots of northern pike success at Beaver Bay on Lake Oahe. Some success from boats around the Rifle Range and Little Heart.
New Town, Scenic 23, Lake Sakakawea: Fair to good for nice-sized walleye and a few northern pike around Sanish Bay by New Town. The lake isn't making ice with the warm weather and is open up to Gull Island in the Van Hook Arm.
Pick City, Scott's Bait & Tackle, Lake Sakakawea / Missouri River: Continued Missouri River success from boats using jigs and minnows. Also try plastics. Most anglers are working down river for bigger fish with the honey hole producing smaller walleye. Some salmon with good numbers of northern pike mixed in. Fair from shore but fish are running smaller. Best success is in the evening from shore.
Ruthville, Ruthville Store, Lake Darling and area lakes: Fair to good walleye success at the Outlet Fishing Area for some nice-sized walleye along with continued walleye activity at Grano. Some perch mixed in, as well. Lake Audubon remains fair for walleye.
Williston, Scenic Sports, Lake Saka-kawea / Missouri River / area lakes: Lake Sakakawea starting to produce some nice-sized walleye on the west end. Try White Earth Bay. Fair sauger and walleye success on the Missouri River.
LAKE LEVELS
Devils Lake elevation, Dec. 28: 1,453.27 feet above mean sea level.
Stump Lake elevation, Dec. 28: 1,453.45 feet.
Lake Sakakawea elevation, Dec. 28: 1,839.4 feet; 23,000 cubic feet per second average Garrison Dam daily releases.
HUNTING
As of Dec. 28:
N.D. Game & Fish Dept. game wardens: Fair Canada goose success on the south side but season closes Friday.
Upper Souris NWR, Foxholm: Limited hunting activity.
West-central N.D.: Some mallards remain along the open water of Lake Sakakawea.
SKIING
Downhill skiing, Dec. 28:
Bottineau Winter Park, Bottineau: Some 6- to 10-inch base with groomed, manmade conditions. Five runs, one chair and three handle lifts open with several rails open at the Terrain Park and three runs on the Tube Park.
Frostfire Ski Area, Walhalla: All runs open with some 15- to 25-inch base on manmade snow. Open daily through Jan. 8.
Huff Hills, Mandan: Some 10- to 12-inch base with loose granular conditions. Five runs, one lift and one tow open.
Terry Peak, Lead, S.D.: Some 16- to 20-inch base with machine-groomed, hard-packed conditions. Twelve runs open with four lifts operating.