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Junior Governor’s Cup Fishing Derby at Fort Stevenson State Park

GARRISON — Kids can show off their fishing skills at the North Dakota Junior Governor’s Cup Youth Fishing Derby at Fort Stevenson State Park on Saturday, July 22, in the DeTrobriand Marina. The derby is open to anyone 17 and younger. Registration starts at 10 a.m. on the lawn. Multiple prizes will be awarded; participants may only win in one category. A limited supply of loaner poles is available on a first come-first serve basis. Visitors are encouraged to bring their own pole if possible. Bait will be provided. Lunch will be served following the derby while supplies last. ...

North Dakota Outdoors: Learning from the dead

It’s been nearly 20 years since the first legal mountain lion season in North Dakota. To think there’s a generation that has grown up never knowing a time when there wasn’t a season. It puts into context the label of “new” or “experimental” when describing one of the more ...

Anglers should keep fish caught in deep water

North Dakota Game and Fish Department fisheries personnel encourage anglers to keep fish caught from depths of more than 25 feet, rather than practice catch-and-release. Scott Gangl, Game and Fish fisheries management section leader, said with the exceptional fish bite at Lake Sakakawea this summer, anglers should know fish reeled in from this depth will likely die if released. “As water warms during summer, fish tend to move to deeper, cooler water,” Gangl said. “This is particularly true for walleye in the big lake, where they follow their primary forage of rainbow smelt to ...

Guide and outfitter exam scheduled

The next guide and outfitter written examination is Aug. 19 at 1 p.m. at the North Dakota Game and Fish Department office in Bismarck. Preregistration is required no later than Aug. 11 by calling the Department’s enforcement office at 328-6604. The test is given periodically to anyone interested in becoming a guide or outfitter in the state. In addition to passing a written exam, qualifications for becoming a hunting guide include a background check for criminal and game and fish violations, certification in cardiopulmonary resuscitation and standard first aid, and employment by ...

Say yes to clean, drain, dry boats across ND

While the effort to stop the introduction and transportation of aquatic nuisance species in North Dakota has been mostly successful, challenges remain as not all anglers, pleasure boaters and other water enthusiasts are abiding by the clean, drain, dry message. For example, last week department game wardens and other department staff inspected more than 1,200 watercrafts throughout the state. Unfortunately, these inspections found four watercraft that were transporting zebra mussels. Luckily, in all four incidences, the zebra mussels were determined to be dead. North Dakota waters ...

North Dakota Outdoors: Fisheries crews overcome challenges

I’ll apologize in advance as I’d rather not dig up bad memories, but this past winter started too early and stayed too long. But sometimes as a friend reminded me, “we can turn the page, but don’t forget what you’ve read.” The winter/spring of 2023 lasting impact on deer, ...