Sak Salmon

Roscoe

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Does anyone fish for salmon on Sak all year long or is it primarily a fall fishery? Pretty much all of the information I can find on it is from people fishing in late summer to fall when they start to come up shallow. If they do fish all year long, is it mostly flashers and crankbaits or are there better ways to catch them? I just moved to the area and was hoping to try to get in on a salmon or two this summer. Thanks.
 


jdinny

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I’m not a salmon guy at all. And salmon have been caught all summer more of an “ accident” as far up as van hook as mice wife caught one several years ago pulling cranks on Kasey’s flats. With that being said the majority of people targeting them target them late summer early fall as they seek Colder water habitat and that is found by the face of the dam. I don’t beleive there is any other spots they really congregate in big numbers to consistently target them. I have heard guys targeting them by Beulah bay and Indian hills as well but can not verify that. Someone with some salmon knowledge chim In but I beleive it has to do with water temps, forage and how they congregate pre spawning run
 

MSA

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Fish the garrison dam area, from government bay to the marina at sakakawea state park. You can catch them shallow through the spring until the water warms up and they go deep. They don't come shallow again till the lake cools and turns over around Labor day weekend in September.
 

Allen

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Back in the early 80s, there were people who targeted salmon by Pouch Point, south of New Town. Seemed to be a real hit or miss option for the day with a lot more misses than hits. Not sure if anyone really does target salmon that far up the lake any longer. Farthest upstream I've seen a salmon caught was by Lewis and Clark State Park, I'm sure stragglers go even farther upstream at times, but that's the farthest I've seen one caught. I've also seen one caught by Little Knife Bay, north of New Town.

All the above were incidental catches as we were fishing shallow water walleyes.
 

jdinny

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okay since allen let it out of the bag and said it first i can confirm first hand guys trolling riggers in 100+ft north of pouch.
saw it firsthand last summer on a booze cruise from the hook up around into the river..assume they targeting salmon but cannot confirm.
i didnt want to get a death threat saying guys target them up there.= and giving secret spots away. but allen is correct
 


Riverbottoms

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I witnessed two salmon getting caught at the confluence last fall in October. Don’t know if they came from FT peck or SAK
 

Brian Renville

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I witnessed two salmon getting caught at the confluence last fall in October. Don’t know if they came from FT peck or SAK

Wow that's the first I've heard of that. I believe it though' there is a few caught every year on the west side of the lake, id say they came from Sak for sure. After the fall before last when I pulled out a 3# rainbow about a mile up from the confluence I'll believe anything. I have a every day 90 year old customer who netted for 50 years said he's only seen one in all that time but he has seen many salmon.
 

Riverbottoms

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I have a buddy that that was born and raised in Sidney and he told me of a few salmon being caught at sundheim and Richland park also. I’m originally from Bismarck and I have caught salmon from Stateline to the garrison tailrace. Then the from the dam to van hook. So I think anything is possible.
 

Mr. Stevenson

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Fish the garrison dam area, from government bay to the marina at sakakawea state park. You can catch them shallow through the spring until the water warms up and they go deep. They don't come shallow again till the lake cools and turns over around Labor day weekend in September.

Is casting viable or is trolling the only option?
 


MSA

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Casting works, but only when water temps are cool
 

Mr. Stevenson

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One more Sir: Is it more of a main lake proposition or are they in the bays with the pike? Thanks. I love this sort of stuff!

- - - Updated - - -

More specific: Could some success be expected by walking the shore throwing reef runners etc?
 

MSA

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Main lake between riverdale & pick city is where I'd target them. Cast any spoons or cranks
 

Allen

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I have seen several salmon caught on spoons in early Sept by people casting in the Lake Sakakawea St Park bay, and over in Gov't bay to the east. I think the number of people who truly have salmon figured out in ND can be counted on my phalanges.
 

Migrator Man

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Does anyone fish for salmon on Sak all year long or is it primarily a fall fishery? Pretty much all of the information I can find on it is from people fishing in late summer to fall when they start to come up shallow. If they do fish all year long, is it mostly flashers and crankbaits or are there better ways to catch them? I just moved to the area and was hoping to try to get in on a salmon or two this summer. Thanks.
A group crushed them on the ice last year on Sak. Where is the better question! I think there is a YouTube out there of it.
 


JayKay

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I have seen several salmon caught on spoons in early Sept by people casting in the Lake Sakakawea St Park bay, and over in Gov't bay to the east. I think the number of people who truly have salmon figured out in ND can be counted on my phalanges.

No one wants to think about your phalanges, you pervert!

;)
 

Fishmission

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The farthest up Sak that I have caught them was in some small bays around Indian Hills. This was pitching crank baits in spring time. Truthfully, I have caught way more salmon ice fishing.
Vintage 2015. I have thrown these on here before A8E90452-EA29-4170-B7D4-8ADFAE76B59C.jpg

this was all near the dam. Back off of the dam and find really deep sharp dropping points
Sketchy ice down that way and we never had any competition.

- - - Updated - - -

In the 90s a few times we ran into a school of them at night with jigging spoons. It was random but during that time we had two or three good nights, once we stumbled in to where they crossed a point. They were 25 feet down over about 50 I had a buddy pull up a 13 and an 11 back to back and we had another one snap a stiff 3 ft jigger
I caught eight.on that day in 15. Some small males and one that was about five. Its quiet for hours and then 20 min makes the day.
last few years, they have been super hard to find.
The lower water years were always the best for stumbling into ice salmon
 
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Allen

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Nobody wants your phone number!!!

Ha ha, my car warranty is not up for discussion!

Nor will I fear whatever SSN, tax, or bank scam you'd be calling me with anyway. I'll just let you listen to Johnny Cash until I wanna mess with ya.
 


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