The Yellow River Unit, as has been noted, is located on the Yellow River. There are people catching fish just about anyway you can think of, as shallow as 5 feet and as deep as 60 feet and live bait rigs to jigs to rip jigging to lead head jigs and minnows to cranking. Not totally sure why as the weather was as good as it gets all 4 days. I decided not to fish it this weekend and changed up the pace a bit and went to Nelson Lake by Center ND for a little Bass fishing. The river and tail race area is still producing fish but size is decreasing. we fished anywhere from 10 feet to 20 feet with bottom bouncers and crawlers. Again, don't be afraid to get shallow once in a while, they can change in a hurry. Cranking has also been producing but I haven't done a whole lot of that yet but I have a good reports from some guys doing okay. I fished from Sunday the 16th to Wednesday the 19th and everyday was very good except for maybe Sunday as the wind was pretty bad and I didn't feel like getting pounded by the waves so we stayed out of the wind and still did pretty good. Just stay shallow, I would say 2 feet to about 12 should be the best. I'm thinking we may be able to launch boats here in the Bismarck area by mid next week. We managed a decent 2 man limit in the 14 to 18 inch range and had a couple nice release fish, a 23 and a 27 inch fish. Use bottom bouncer or crank baits in a variety of depths till you find fish on Oahe. I will be out this week a few times and will report again. Saturday we fished the tailrace and although we had a bit of a slow start it turned out very good and we were able to take 13 good fish in the 14 to 18 inch range and a bonus salmon. The fishing has slowed down a little the last couple weeks but still good, just have to work a little harder. The river around Bismarck is still locked up by ice but the 15 day forecast looks like temps in the high 30s and low 40s and that should start to get things moving. I expect this to get very good this weekend with the warmer temps. We fished both Saturday and Sunday and true to form for this area the fishing was a little tough with Sunday being the better day for catching fish. Reports were all over the place as far as depth and presentation goes. Lake Sakakawea is starting pickup as well and fishing should be very good there in about 2 weeks. The fish were a little scattered between sharp drop offs and flats next to them. Made it out on both Lake Oahe and Lake Sakakawea over the weekend. Caught a couple fish that pushed 20 inches but nothing bigger. Cranking should get some fish to go as well. Please carry out what you carried in. Guys are getting fish deeper as well and crank baits in the right spots are taking some fish too. I May be making a trip up there this weekend. Support conservation in Iowa by buying a natural resource plate for your vehicle. We tried some other spots with Bottom bouncers and came up empty. The river is pretty well open now to the Mclean bottoms area at least and will make big gains the next few days. If you find a good concentration of fish anchoring and pitching to them and working the jig back to the boat works very well too. Fishing remains very good on the west half of Lake Sakakawea. Pretty much the same reports from Lake Oahe. It wouldn't surprise me at all to see the state record fall again this fall... ya never know. The best depths for us has been 18 to 26 feet. Minnows a still strong here but I expect that to change soon but if you go now better take both. GET WEEKLY ND FISHING REPORTS FROM MISSOURI RIVER, LAKE SAKAKAWEA AND LAKE OAHE. Amazing fishing right now! Made it out on the river last weekend launching at the Garrison dam tailrace ramp. Subsequent land purchases consolidated scattered tracts and today the forest is 8,503 acres in size. This is the best time to catch trophy walleye in the Missouri river. The tailrace are has really slowed down the last couple of weeks. Lake Oahe should be very good as well. Made it out on the Missouri River here in Bismarck a few days the past week and I think the fish are still on the spawn a bit. Bottom bouncers and just about anything ya wanna put behind them has been taking the majority of the fish anywhere from 18 to 25 feet being the strongest depth. The weather forecast for next 15 days has high temps in the high 30s to low 50s every day and the river is wide open to just north of Bismarck so it won't take long now. Cranks and bottom bouncers will work as well. Shallow has been the name of the game anywhere from 2 to 10 feet. The fish we did catch where in the 8 to 15 foot range on jigs and minnows. I would say in the 2 days we fished that we probably caught in the neighborhood of 100+ fish all except just a few bigger than 15 inches with most being in the 17 to 20 inch range. With deer season fast approaching the fishing will get put on the back burner for a week or so but as long as the weather hold I'll be out there when ever I can. Saturday I launched at beaver bay on lake Oahe. We had what we thought was a good plan going in. Prairie sites contain big and little bluestem, needle-and-thread grass, Indian grass, prickly pear, and others. Jigs, bottom bouncers and cranks will all take fish so try everything. The fish are ranging in the 14 to 20 inch range with a few over 20 inches, this will continue to pick up as the weather cools. Not to say that there are no fish but most are small. We caught our fish in 20 to 25 feet but I've heard reports of guys getting fish shallower and deeper so ya can't rule anything out. We fished the east end from Douglas bay to highway 83 and had a pretty tough day. Tight Lines. Salmon fishing has gotten better over the last week but is still a little spotty and not every day is a good producer. We launched at Kimball bottoms. Nothing has really changed since the last report. This is all good as it will give us a little more time to enjoy the pre spawn bite a little longer. The river around Bismarck is still locked up by ice but the 15 day forecast looks like temps in the high 30s and low 40s and that should start to get things moving. The major Yellow River Forest plant communities are maple-basswood, oak-hickory, and bottomland hardwoods. It seems there a fish scattered in all depths so keep moving around and trying different things till ya find them. Vertical jigging with minnows has been the ticket to put those fish in the boat. We headed out to Douglas bay and started to look for warmer than 50 degree water and that seemed to be the key to catching the fish. Saturday was same as Friday with maybe just a little better size average but not a lot. We will be turning our attention to Lake Sakakawea and Lake Oahe a little more now too as the Ice has cleared. Ashland County Buildings are open by appointment only except for the Circuit Court and Sheriff's Office. Minnows get the nod for bait for me anyway but I'm sure you could pick some up on bottom bouncers and crawlers as well. The system is very healthy as we are seeing a good number of smaller fish as well. The Missouri River and Lake Oahe continue to be good for numbers of fish and you should be able to catch a limit of 14 to 18 inchers fairly easy. The fish are healthy and becoming more numerous as fall goes on. I decided on the Newtown area to the north of the bridge. Made it out both days over the weekend and we are still dealing with some inconsistent fishing. Also if you know anyone looking for a great boat the 2003 ranger is for sale. Lots of small fish but the bigger ones are there just gotta keep working. There are bass in this lake over 8lbs so if ya hit it right it can be a lot of fun. Bottom bouncers and crawlers will work in either place as well and jigs and minnows or plastics. Hopefully we can keep going but with everything changing daily with the corona virus we must be careful. Additionally, California’s coast offers substantial ocean fishing. Sounds like 20 to 30 feet is about the best with bouncers or crank baits but I'm sure some can still be taken on jigs if you so desire. The walleye on Lake Sakakawea are starting to get into a little more of a pattern now. The reports were 15 to 25 feet with jigs and minnows, most fish were in the 14 to 16 inch range. Not Sure how far south it goes but it's ready to fish now. Who know I guess but I do know that if you are going to get a limit of fish you will have to move a lot. Lake Sakakawea has started to get busy as well although its a bit spotty. Check these beauties, caught and released from the river below the tailrace. Lots of fish have moved in and they are hungry. Most of the fish on these bars are 14 to 18 inches with and occasional fish over 20 inches but are a lot of fun to catch. Cranks are working too as well as jigging raps so keep your options open. This is the best time to have a good chance at trophy walleye! Just a little note here on what I am doing that is a little different than what I see a lot of people doing to catch these fish. There are a lot of small fish in the system and they are mixed right in with the nicer fish and very eager biters, you will have to sort through some fish to get the ones you want. February has been pretty nice so far and we have been able to spend some time up on the tailrace section of the Missouri river below the garrison dam. Looks like the weather will cooperate nicely in the come days. I did get a report from the river that was okay too but scattered fish was the norm. Had great reports from the Newtown area all the way down to the east end. Guys are catching fish as shallow as 2 feet in some areas but it seems to me that there has been a good movement of fish out to the 15 to 20 foot range and maybe finally we can get into a more summer like pattern. Pitching, long lining and vertical all worked but not at the same time, one style would work good in one spot and something else would work in another, had to keep changing it up. The level of the water is rising fast hear too and I think if ya give it a little time it will be good once it levels off. It was a little different bite on Monday, not really sure if it was the weather in the morning or what but it was all vertical jigging with minnows. Sunday, I had a trip to Lake Sakakwea. I fished Friday, Saturday and Sunday in the Van Hook and Newtown area. We launched at Beaver bay on Lake Oahe and tried to head down to the cattail bay area but it was too windy to make it so we ended up spending our time in Beaver bay. Timber harvests provided material that the C.C.C. I spent 2 days, launching out of Van Hook resort, and fishing was very good both days. Most fish came in 20 to 25 feet with a couple in the 30 foot range. We ran up river to the double ditch area and found great spots but not a lot of fish. Still lots of time to get out on the water so if ya wanna get out and try for a trophy now is the time, give me a call. Paint Creek Unit is the largest at 5,237 acres and is located 15 miles north of Marquette on State Hwy 76. For topographic maps of Yellow River State Forest, please contact the Iowa Geological and Water Survey at 319-335-1575. Tight lines. Look shallow in the river from 3 to 10 feet and 10 to 15 on the lake. Using plastics with all the above will work as well. This will make it much easier for me to book trips. The Missouri river should be pretty good for another month or so and I'm thinking Lake Oahe will be a little better longer this year as well and maybe into late summer with the higher water levels. Finally made it out on the water after a couple weeks off. There were a lot of fish over 10 lbs. I know some other boats were doing a little better but a lot went home empty handed again. Just gotta make sure there are fish showing up on the graph and you should be in business. The excellent fishing continues on Lake Sakakawea. As some of you know I have been a part time guide since I started doing this and now I will be full time starting March 15th. Not a lot has really changed. We have plenty of openings for early season river fishing in April and May so give me a call. Lake Sakakawea is starting to turn on pretty good on the west end. We will be dealing with some low water as they are holding water back up at the dam to help out with flooding in Nebraska and I have a feeling the further south on the river we get the better fishing will be, at least to start. Lots of time left to fish this fall so if ya wanna get in on some great late season fishing now is the time. Get out and have some fun and please practice selective harvest. Some decent limits of fish have come in the Hazelton area. I'm sure as the water keeps warming we will see a little more consistent pattern start to develop but for now don't get stuck in a particular pattern and keep moving till you find fish. Lake Oahe and the river are still about the same plenty of fish but not a lot of size. The weather has been pretty crazy with all the rain and has kept us off the water some. Good depths in the lake should be 20 to 30 feet anywhere you can find good structure. Tight lines. If nothing else the cold temps have helped to clear the water up a bit, hope we can keep it that way now. Longlining a jig with a minnow or half crawler was working very well. The tourney really showed what the river has to offer though. Great reports from Lake Sakakawea this week too, when the boats could get out. We had kind of a rough weather week that kept a lot of the guys off the water last week that lasted all the way in to Saturday but then Sunday shaped up pretty well. I would expect the fishing to improve by the weekend as the spawn winds down. Nestled in the town of Orange Beach, Florida Point Beach is a mile-long beach that is located east of the Perdido Pass. Made it up to Nelson Lake by Center ND last Saturday. Connetquot River State Park Preserve maintains 3,473 acres of land and water for the protection and propagation of game birds, fish and animals. Salmon fishing on Lake Sakakawea should start to pick up now as we get into August and I will be out checking when I can and getting reports and will post reports when I get them. Still fish to be caught and still have to sort through a lot of small fish to take a decent limit. There are fish there but sometimes it's hard to get them to bite and again the mornings are much better than the afternoon. In the river try staying in the current on the inside bends and you should do well. Water temps have been anywhere from 38 to 45 degrees the last 3 days so that make a big difference in fish mood I think. I promise it will be a good thing for all of us. The warmer days with lots of sun seem to be the best days and don't be afraid to fish shallow, like 1 to 5 feet. I'm hearing some reports of minnows starting to work pretty well now too so might have to grab some when ya go. The tailrace are continues to do well with a variety of presentations producing some very nice fish. Great limits of fish the 18 to 23 inch mark are fairly easy to come by with several fish being released over 23 inches up to 30 inches. We got a few and the biggest was 18 inches so not a banner day but a nice change of pace once in a while. For the most part 5 to 18 feet would be a good place to start. Things will only get better from here and the weather looks like it's going to cooperate the next few weeks. Not much to report in the way of fishing, weather has not been cooperating and deer hunting took up a lot of time this year but I figured I better talk about a few changes coming up for next season. We managed a limit of nice walleye from 15 to 22 inches and found a lot of good spots. Jigging is productive if you can find a good school of fish but that has been the problem. I have not made it up there yet and don't have any recent reports but I'm sure there are some fish biting as usual this time of year but it can be spotty from day to day. I expect crawlers to start working well this week as the water temps rise. If you are thinking about booking a trip now is the time to start planning. Sorry for the late report, been a little crazy this week. We found fish in every spot we stopped in 8 to 13 feet of water using bottom bouncers with either spinners or slow death with crawlers. We caught fish in verity of depths ranging from 4 to 35 feet with all the nicer fish coming in the 4 to 10 foot range and the smaller fish down to 35 feet. The fishing will really start to change now with cooling temps and I think the fishing will be really good on both bodies of water as we move further into the fall. The weather for the event was a little poor with thunderstorms moving through in the morning but everyone made the best of it and brought a some fish in so all was good. Natural Resource Plates. Took a nice limit of fish by noon with a couple too big to keep. As for as the fishing I am expecting this years season to be very good again. Fishing has become slower on the big lake but still pumping out some good fish if you're will to work at it. The water temp today on the river is 45 degrees and will continue to climb as the weather has diffidently wormed up. The fish we caught came at 75 and 80 feet over 100 feet of water on herring. Have heard a few good reports but just as many poor ones. We were really looking for some big fish for the upcoming Big Muddy Walleye Classic that will launch out of Bismarck on Saturday morning. On the south side of the Big Paint Creek valley, Cedar overlook has no particular reason for being so named. On a good point the water looks very good in the Bismarck area and we are starting to see some good limits coming in and better average size as well. Those fish are very active and eager to bite when you run into them. Spinners and smile blades did the trick with slow death hooks or regular hooks. Presentation is still the same and bottom bouncers and spinners or slow death hooks are still my go to but plenty of other things are working, cranks, jigging raps, and lindys are all taking fish well too. Just a little recap of the Big Muddy Walleye Classic held in Bismarck this past weekend on the Missouri River last Saturday. Salmon fishing has picked up the last week or so and am hearing of some pretty good catches. We used Jigs, bottom bouncers and crawlers or minnows. Cranking with lead core in 20 to 40 feet has produced the best for me but there are still fish being taken on bottom bouncers, rip jigging, and jigs and minnows. Just about any thing will work right now so pick your favorite presentation and have at it. It's the time of year that you can bag a limit of birds one day and take a limit of nice walleye the next or even in the same day. Reports from Van Hook were about the same. I did make it out on the river last Thursday for a little while in the evening with good results. We have plenty of openings in May and it should be a great spring on the river so give us a call and lets go fishing! Because most land purchased was farmland and pasture, the early management of Yellow River Forest was concerned with protection from grazing, fire and soil erosion. All in all it was a good couple of days on the water after a very long off season! We both decided it would be best if we could find fish away from the crowds and headed as far north on the river as the tournament boundaries would allow. The best for us was jigs and minnows and bottom bouncers with minnows in 10 to 18 feet. Plenty of fish caught in the 15 to 24 inch range and most were 18 to 22 inches. There are many days throughout the year which it is impractical to work out of doors. Bottom bouncers with a 5 or a 6 foot snel and single bead was about the best presentation for us, a few came on spinners, all on crawlers. Tight lines, Made it out Friday, Saturday and Sunday over the weekend and the fishing is inconsistent at best. The west half of the lake is still the most consistent at this point but some better reports are starting to come in from the east end now too. Also, we caught some on worms and also lindy rigs were working too along with some on cranks just keep it shallow. Today, the forest is managed for numerous natural resource benefits and recreational opportunities. Tight lines. The reports I got further up river toward Bismarck and even north of Bismarck sounded like a better bite. This sawmill was originally located at Pikes Peak State Park before being moved to Yellow River State Forest. We were able to catch some limits of fish but we had to grind for them. Lake Sakakawea fall fishing has picked up considerably! The river is still pretty low but this will be changing as the Corps of Engineers will be ramping up releases out of the Garrison dam starting in about a week. Warriors on the water event Saturday went very well with all the vets catching at least a few fish. Very good results the last couple days with some very nice fish. Yellow River Forest is located in a physiographic region called the Paleozoic Plateau. Lots of catch and release fish in the 25 to 28 inch range will be caught. This is done very slowly and the bite usually comes when dropping it back, usually a very light tap or the jig will just stop going back. Jigs and minnows have been the best for us in anywhere from 5 feet to 20 feet. Lake Oahe is still producing fish although they are on the small side but nicer fish are around if you are patient. Stay in the 5 to 12 foot mark in the river and anywhere from 5 to 20 feet on Lake Oahe and you should do well. Lake Sakakawea is starting to get into the summer pattern, at least on the west end. Jigging raps and crank baits have been taking fish as well so keep your options open, keep changing things up if you have fish on the graph and they won't bite, you might get a few on something different. Cranking, Jigging raps, slow trolling lindys and even jigging with a worm or a minnow will take fish. Some guys are doing very well trolling cranks baits it's just not my go to presentation. I expect that a more exact pattern will fall into place in the next week or two, just remember to be flexible. I am guessing we will be on the water in a week or 2 and the Garrison Dam tail race is open now. The weather has an effect on the activities which can be accomplished in the forest area. Our speed was .6 to .8 in the morning and 1.0 to 1.2 in the afternoon. Customer Service: 515-725-8200 | Iowa DNR Headquarters Wallace State Office Building | 502 East 9th Street, 4th Floor | Des Moines, IA 50319-0034, Scholastic Action Shooting Program (SASP), Declaratory Orders and Rulemaking Petitions, State Conservation and Outdoor Recreation Plan, + Yellow River State Forest, Lumber Sales, + Origin of the Forest Name, Yellow River, Yellow River State Forest management Plan. Not sure how long this will last here in the river but it's definitely on now. Water temp is still in the mid 60s so we need a little cooler weather to get things going a little better. Not a lot new to report on this week, things really haven't changed much. Lots of catfish though so that made up for it a bit and did manage to take a few walleye in the 13 to 17 inch range on Jigs and minnows. The river in Bismarck is wide open now and as long as the city and county get to the ramps and get the ice pushed off we'll be fishing it this week. I know that's a big swing in depths but the fish are a little scattered. Not sure what this will do the fishing but I would give it a week or so before trying it. Things are really starting to heat up so give me a call and lets get out and enjoy a day on the water. That fishing though! Friday night and Saturday morning we launched out of Misty Waters north of Bismarck and headed north again. Should be a great season this year. Don't throw anything out the window right now. Depths were 20 to 30 feet for us. I believe the fish are in spwn mode for the most part as we caught some fish that were spawned out and some that were still holding eggs and the males we caught were all milking. I think this will get better with the warming temps as the river is still struggling to get to the 50 degree mark, water temp yesterday was 46 degrees. We worked mainly the Vanhook area but reports were good from many parts of the lake. If you are thinking about early spring trip now is the time to book. Very Nice fish in the 16 to 27 inch range with most being 18 to 22 inches. Not so sadly I always miss this bite but I really don't have anything to complain about, things are pretty good right here in my back yard. We caught fish in 6 to 13 feet of water, speed was 1.1 mph. I made it out 4 days in a row from Thursday to Sunday and results were mixed. We Marked a few fish in the 8 to 10 foot range and we soon had our 1st fish of the day and one more after that and it was over. Give me call if you would like to book a trip either on the lake or the river. Again these fish are catchable on just about any presentation. Lead core and cranks, jigging raps, bottom bouncers, Jigs and lindys will all take these fish but if you aren't seeing fish on your graph keep looking. The Paint Creek Unit takes its name from the stream by that name. For the most part we found our fish pretty shallow in the 2 too 10 foot range and jigs and minnows, casting and vertical, has been our presentation. On a brighter note Lake Oahe south of Bismarck has started to produce some better fishing from the Hazelton area down to the SD border. How can it get any better than that? The Crappies are still there and would expect that to continue for the rest of the summer but we'll see I guess. I have spent quite of time on both the Van Hook area and the Garrison to Beulah area and the bite is about the same right now. I expect that to change this week as the water continues to cool. It seems like finding the fish isn't very hard but making those deeper fish bite can be a real challenge. The original purchase was adjacent to the Yellow River near its confluence with the Mississippi and the name "Yellow River Forest" was appropriate. Just not a lot around yet, I will keep you posted on reports I hear, it will pick up soon. I think we have a very good spring in store for us this year. Lake Oahe down to the SD border is still producing good fishing. Toilets near Jewel Bridge and Sunrise Bridge are closed for renovation works. After we had a limit of walleye we made our way back to beaver bay and went looking for crappies. I have been concentrating on 20 to 35 feet trying to stay out of the real deep water and am able to find some spots that work. The Sawmill overlook gives a view of the forest sawmill and headquarters complex and Big Paint overlook commands a view of the Big Paint campground. The Park System's eighteen active and passive recreation facilities cover a total of 7400 acres and include: Oscar E. McClinton Jr. The big fish are starting to show up a little more all the time and I've heard of a few in the 12 to 15 pound range being caught and this will continue to be the case as we head towards the spawn. Jigs and minnows and crank baits have been the go to baits here but the jigging raps and blade baits are getting hit too. Thursday and Friday were very good and Saturday and Sunday we had to work very hard for our fish. Fishing has been pretty good on Lake Sakakawea but it isn't necessarily what we are used to. The fish were on the bite right away and if not for being pretty selective on the fish we kept may have only took a hour or so to take a limit. Harpers Ferry, IA 52146, 563-586-2254 I can't wait to get back to this area again when the weather is a little nicer, I think its going to be some real good fishing! All the reports I heard over the weekend from the west half of the lake were very good! We also had boats on the river as well and the story was the same, nice limits of fish in the 15 to 20 inch range with a few bigger ones mixed in, vertical jigging was the best way to get fish in the boat.
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