Ice Fishing Sakakwea

[Oley55]

Hey fellas! I'm moving up to Minot in a couple weeks we're excited for this winters hard water. Can anyone give me some tips for Sakakwea. Not looking for your honey holes or nothing but that's a big body of water just kinda looking for which bays and areas produce walleye, pike, and panfish.
Any help appreciated!
See you on the ice!

 

[Vollmer]

Welcome to NDA. It can be pretty hit and miss on Sak in the winter. Up in Garrison Bay can be good. I'd give Audubon a whirl. It was pretty solid last year. For a chunk of the winter they were in the 30' range.

 

[dean nelson]

Watch out where you go because her ice can be sketchy at best some years and she seems to like to eat trucks.

 

[Joe]

If you want walleyes, head towards parshall, devils lake or south east Audubon.

 

[dragoneyes]

Sakakawea would not be my first choice like the other angler said. Check ND game n fish web site for lakes around your area a lot of good resources, printable lakes and specific species, to contour mapping and direction to destinations. Welcome and hope you have good time. Stay safe.

 

[ice head]

Last winter the vex was constantly lit up with smelt, it made for some difficult fishing.

 

[Brian Renville]

Just kinda concentrate on points at first 20-30 ft. It's usually too damn cold to be hole hopping with a jigging pole so keep a jigging pole in the portable with a dead stick next to it and two tip-ups outside. I like fishing pike also so throw a smelt on one of those tip-ups in 7 feet of water and that should keep you busy in between walleye and sauger bites.

 

[Oley55]

Thanks for help guys! I Can't wait to get up there! I plan to hit Devils a bunch and I've heard Metagoshi has some nice panfish. How do popup shacks hold up too windy most days?

 

[Brian Renville]

Thanks for help guys! I Can't wait to get up there! I plan to hit Devils a bunch and I've heard Metagoshi has some nice panfish. How do popup shacks hold up too windy most days?

They do fine. The anchors hold up great. It has to get pretty damn windy to take one out if anchored on the windy side. Just make sure the anchors go in before you start popping hub or you'll be windsurfing towards Minnesota.

 

[Flatrock]

Take a look at Darling as well. Up there, there isn't a whole lot of structure and so we've never really had much strategy on where to fish. Just seems like you kind of need to move around a lot and get lucky by finding a school of perch. I'm sure guys that fish there a lot have some spots that produce more regularly but we don't fish it a ton.

 

[Lungdeflator]

I have done fairly well on Douglas bay. Last year was tough and I didn't have a lot of time to fish and ton of baitfish around, but still managed some fish the few times I made it out. Navionics app on your phone will get you very close to some good spots on structure just about anywhere on Sak.

 

[NPO_Aaron]

Welcome to town! The hard water can't come soon enough.

 

[DirtyMike]

There's just too much water to break down. I'll fish wolf creek for big momma pike, but that's where it ends on sakakawea.

 

[Captain Ahab]

Go fishing in the boat right now and cover water to find fish. Go back to those spots come early ice.

 

[Oley55]

That's my plan next season for sure! My boat didn't see the water all season haha
nxt year will be different for sure!

- - - Updated - - -

There's just too much water to break down. I'll fish wolf creek for big momma pike, but that's where it ends on sakakawea.

I love pike fishing...landed my PB last year in Montana 40" 22lbs on New Years hell of a way to close out the year.

 

[ndfinfan]

Welcome! I agree with Lung, Douglas Bay is a good area to ice fish. Nice to have the points and breaks figured out in the open water season. Buddy and I are actually gonna fish Douglas Bay Saturday. Unless the forecast changes, Saturday doesn't look bad wind/temp wise. Living in Minot and working at the Air Force base, I fish at Darling quite a bit in the winter. Early in the season and late in the season, I've had really good luck at Darling...just be careful over the channel at the Grano crossing early and late in the year...ice can be pretty sketchy! Good luck...

 

[Oley55]

Welcome! I agree with Lung, Douglas Bay is a good area to ice fish. Nice to have the points and breaks figured out in the open water season. Buddy and I are actually gonna fish Douglas Bay Saturday. Unless the forecast changes, Saturday doesn't look bad wind/temp wise. Living in Minot and working at the Air Force base, I fish at Darling quite a bit in the winter. Early in the season and late in the season, I've had really good luck at Darling...just be careful over the channel at the Grano crossing early and late in the year...ice can be pretty sketchy! Good luck...

thanks for the Reply! I've heard good things in Darling. I'll be working on base too. What do you do up there?

 

[ndfinfan]

thanks for the Reply! I've heard good things in Darling. I'll be working on base too. What do you do up there?

Retired Air Force...have worked Civil Service on the base since 2006. Finance/Accounting/Contracting office...so I fly a desk!

 

[Vollmer]

Do you know Leena55?

 

[ndfinfan]

Do you know Leena55?

Maybe...but I don't know that NDA handle!