The Decline of Devils Lake

[Slappy]

Again if G&F doesn't do something about the limits on fish regardless of species every lake will see a decline in fishing. Put a slot limit on walleye, increase the NR fee, and close the damn season during the peak spawning period when the fish are the most vulnerable. DL is in decline Sak is in decline in the middle to east end and it will soon be the same on the west end. These fish can only take so much pressure. Time for G&F to wake up.

Don't agree with having a closed season, especially on the vast majority of ND waters which see little to no natural walleye reproduction. Stopping tournaments on the Missouri during spawn would be fine.

 

[Slappy]

I'm constantly flabbergasted by the fixation of perch. To spend money to transfer them from one body to another-- sloughs that were likely stocked with perch in the first place -- especially Devils Lake, just makes me shake my head.

Perch are fun through the ice. Raising perch from eggs is reportedly more difficult than walleye and other species. Many lakes are overrun with small stunted perch so netting and transferring is an economical win-win.

 

[Slappy]

Too little and too late from NDGF , It's not that long ago that perch in ND were non game fish no limit at all. Another thing is most out of state fishermen I'v been close to needed a kick in the nuts and sent back home to fish the waters that they ruined there. One time a guy in a MN boat that was crowding us for shoreline caught a dink walleye and rather than take the hook out and release he yanked the hook out and threw it hard straight down,trying to kill it . One guy in our boat said something and his reply was

" The Northerns gotta eat too" No respect .

The statistics on MN boats and blue license plates are simply undeniable with the disproportionately high rate of stupidity I've witnessed on the water, at boat ramps and on the road.

 

[Slappy]

The G&F Dept is giving the sportsmen of ND the middle finger to their concerns all for the sake of the money. Shut the season down and open in May. Let the MN boys find somewhere else. When you see all the trailers on the middle and east end of Sak there are a lot of both over and undersized fish being taken. They are alway there to check ANS but not on the water checking boats FFS in my opinion will ruin fishing. Those that use it say it doesn't help that much but you always see 2 or 3 guys in the front of the boat pitching to the fish. If it doesn't help that much why are they all using them. My 2 cents

Would definitely support not allowing non-residents to fish here while the season is closed in their own state.

 

[1lessdog]

Would definitely support not allowing non-residents to fish here while the season is closed in their own state.

This is the smartest post I have read. It use to be MN residents couldn't spear Northerns in N.D. because N.D. residents couldn't spear in MN.. In fact MN didn't allow any nonresident to spear in the state. If I remember correctly nonresident weren't even allowed to be in the shak when spearing was taking place. The law in N.D. was if we can spear in your state you can spear in are state.

 

[Rut2much]

Would definitely support not allowing non-residents to fish here while the season is closed in their own state.

No joke but that would just be common sense. Spring fishing, deer gun season, early waterfowl = residents only. MNDOGA

 

[zoops]

Saw Mille Lacs just dropped their perch limit from 10 to 5...

 

[lunkerslayer]

Nothing makes people more mental than a big buck and a perch bite.

Theres something about a huge school of perch coming through your spot making your vex light up like a big Christmas tree. Because those who have experienced this will never forget it, unlike other species of fish like walleye or pan fish the perch schools are a flat mass until you lift up your bait.

 

[Lycanthrope]

My only concern is to give those fish a break from all the pressure when they are most vulnerable Catch and release will never work as some will still try and keep the fish. It is only three months according to the dates you provide. Maybe they should look at only one fish per angler over 21 or 22 inches daily. Then get the tourism department to lay off with trying to attract everyone here claiming to catch big fish

theres really not much benefit to not fishing during the spawn because success of year classes has a lot less to do with the number of spawning fish than it does the habitat and holding capacity of the lake post spawn. Doesnt matter if 1 billion or 100 million eggs are laid if the lake will only support 10 million fry... The limiting factor really isnt in the number of eggs being put down, unless the fish population in a body of water is near collapse, then It might matter, but because GF actively monitors and stocks, thats not really a big risk. Many lakes dont support much natural reproduction anyway because of water quality and sediment issues I think.

 

[Davy Crockett]

Iv'e never felt the urge to head to a crowded bridge to join the 30'' club but I know guys who live for it and they fish every day that time of the year and just keep the big ones. It sounds as easy as making jello and from the stories Iv'e heard, they should have enough fish in the freezer to last a year. I'm not sure about up North but there are miles of gravel shore line all around the lake , some spots the wind washes the eggs away but the more eggs and the more spots they get laid should increase the success rate. I'm not a fan of spring walleye fishing , even catch and release.
For perch , it would be nice to see a small area of the lake set aside for reproduction habitat and sink a few hundred Christmas trees in an area for perch ribbons if habitat is the issue . It's a perfect fishery , if it can produce large numbers of large perch in low water years , it can do it in high water years with very little management as long as there is the same food source.

 

[Migrator Man]

The start of the end was when our state sold out to tourism and invented the term " Devils lake, perch capitol of the world" .

Let’s be real, devils lake would be nothing without the lake and its world class fishing, the community wouldn’t be the same

 

[Jiffy]

But, but, but you have the casino!!

Devils Lake is the biggest dive town in ND, even WITH the lake!!

 

[Traxion]

Lots of fish get taken the other 9 months of the year too. A closed season for that reason alone doesn’t make sense. Protection the spawning fish but if they get caught in the summer it has no effect? I know they may be more vulnerable then but still the other harvest drastically offsets any gain.

Reduce limits. Easiest thing to do for panfish.

 

[Davy Crockett]

Lots of fish get taken the other 9 months of the year too. A closed season for that reason alone doesn’t make sense. Protection the spawning fish but if they get caught in the summer it has no effect? I know they may be more vulnerable then but still the other harvest drastically offsets any gain.

Reduce limits. Easiest thing to do for panfish.

I agree mostly but the other 9 months of the year the fellers I'm referring to would be lucky to catch a fish. Maybe they were pulling my leg but they claimed they could catch a 2 man limit of BIG walleyes in a couple hours , same spot every day from a bridge, but it gets crowded.

 

[thriller1]

How about they let us start shooting commorants? Would that help?

 

[Davy Crockett]

How about they let us start shooting commorants? Would that help?

Darn tootin. They live on very small perch ,like a pound of them a day per bird according to the internet.

 

[Davy Crockett]

I bet a guy could rig up trot lines and then run the line once in a while and club them to death, that way game wardens wouldn't hear the shooting. lol Just kidding wardens , I know your reading this and hopefully you got a chuckle .

 

[Lycanthrope]

But, but, but you have the casino!!

Devils Lake is the biggest dive town in ND, even WITH the lake!!

My initial reaction was, "have you been to belcourt?" but figured I better do some research to see if my instinct was accurate...

Finding a town in North Dakota that is exactly like Devils Lake but "worse" is tricky because, statistically, Devils Lake already sits at the high end for both poverty and crime for its size.

With a population of around 7,200, Devils Lake is the 11th largest city in the state. However, it often ranks #1 for poverty among the state's larger towns (with a rate of ~24%) and has a crime rate significantly higher than the state average.

If you are looking for towns that share its challenges but perhaps feel even more "rough" due to isolation or lack of local industry, here are the closest comparisons:

1. Belcourt & New Town (The "Rougher" Comparison)​

While smaller than Devils Lake, these towns are often cited when discussing high poverty and crime in the state.

• Belcourt: Much smaller (pop. ~1,500), but has a poverty rate near 30%. Because it is the hub for the Turtle Mountain Reservation, it faces similar systemic economic struggles to Devils Lake (which is the hub for Spirit Lake) but with fewer resources and retail options.
• New Town: Historically an oil boom town (pop. ~2,700), it has a high poverty rate (~23%) and has struggled with the "boom and bust" cycle of the Bakken, leading to transient populations and crime issues that can make it feel more unsettled than Devils Lake.

2. Wahpeton (The Peer Comparison)​

Wahpeton is the closest town to Devils Lake in actual size (pop. ~8,000).

• The Vibe: It is generally considered "nicer" or more stable because of the North Dakota State College of Science and its proximity to the Fargo metro area.
• Why it's a match: If you find Devils Lake "rough," Wahpeton is its direct demographic rival. It has its own issues with aging infrastructure and manufacturing shifts, but usually lacks the high violent crime stats seen in Devils Lake.

3. Grafton (The "Faded" Comparison)​

Located about 60 miles east of Devils Lake, Grafton (pop. ~4,000) is smaller but feels similar.

• Poverty/Crime: It has a significant poverty rate and, like Devils Lake, has seen its "glory days" as a major regional hub fade. It can feel more "run down" because it lacks the tourism/fishing economy that gives Devils Lake a seasonal boost.

---

Comparison at a Glance​

City	Population	Poverty Rate	Key Difference from Devils Lake
Devils Lake	~7,200	~24%	Regional hub with strong fishing/tourism.
Wahpeton	~8,000	~15%	More industrial; benefits from "Fargo creep."
Grafton	~4,000	~14%	More agricultural; feels smaller/quieter.
Belcourt	~1,500	~29%	H

 

[Jiffy]

I spent most of one morning trying to get propane in Devils Lake a couple summers ago. I swear to god I almost committed murder with the attitude I received from just about every place I went to. I FINALLY found one place that actually had some and even then it was like they were doing me a favor! For fu@ken real!!

After that escapade I filled in West Fargo and brought them up with me. Good Lord!

I could go on and on…however I digress

 

[camper]

We tried to get into Proz Bar and Grill about a month ago. The place was packed. There was a huge crowd waiting to be seated but no wait list. You just had to hope you were the lucky one they picked. Stupid. We went there again a couple of weeks later on a Sunday night and got right in. Ordered a salad with my meal, no salad, ordered soup, no soup, only side they still had were fries. After we ate it took 30 minutes to get our check. Never again.