Date: Wednesday, August 20, 2008

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Welcome to a fun feature on the Indian Hills Web site, the Eastern Sakakawea Recreation Report. Check out what’s happening on the Big Lake, lake elevation, Garrison Dam releases, and inflows from Missouri River System tributaries – and fishing, of course – all in one easy location. Also, be sure to check the Bite Me! Tournament results: *Indian Hills Resort: An update on Lake Sakakawea’s elevation on July 30 wasn’t available. The walleye seem to be scattered and deeper, so try moving out to 30 to 35 feet using live bait. There haven’t been many reports coming from crankbaits yet. The fish anglers are catching are nice-sized and look healthy. *South shore: Continued fair for small walleye but anglers might want to try working deeper in 30 to 35 feet. *Van Hook: The Van Hook Arm remains quiet for walleye with most activity north of the bridge. But if you decide to work the arm, try Shell Village. *Garrison: Anglers continue finding numbers of walleye on Lake Sakakawea working from Garrison to Douglas bays along the north shore. Sort through the small ones for keepers with numbers of 13- to 15-inch fish and try Lindy rigs with nightcrawlers. *Pick City: The east end of Lake Sakakawea continues producing small walleyes. Work around the islands in 14 to 24 feet using nightcrawlers, but then again, anglers might also want to try plastics or nightcrawlers. There’s been continued salmon activity with most fish coming from Pochant to Deadman’s Bay. North Dakota Rivers Report, featuring Lake Sakakawea’s two major tributaries: *Missouri River: Garrison Dam average daily discharge also wasn’t available for updating. *Little Missouri River, Long X Bridge: The streamflow average is 89 cfs while river stage at the bridge is 1.57 feet. *Yellowstone River, Sidney, Mont.: Streamflow is 6,800 cfs while river stage is 4.97 feet Numbers and Web sites to know: *Indian Hills Resort: (701) 743-4122. *N.D. Game & Fish Department main Bismarck office: (701) 328-6300, Web site (http://gf.nd.gov *N.D. Game & Fish Department Riverdale office: (701) 654-7475. *Report All Poachers: (800) 472-2121. *Friends of Lake Sakakawea: (www.lakesakakawea.com).

Date: Tuesday, August 19, 2008

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The 2008 Bite Me Invite had a great turn out and it was a fantastic weekend at the lake. The results were very different for many teams. I seen some of the best stringers of walleye in years and the next boat found nothing but small ones. Remember we had a 15 in or longer rule so the smallest didn’t get counted, and you can only weigh in 5 fish, some teams did not weigh anything. The team of Tom Beatom and William Lisburg, both of West Fargo had a great day. They landed an 8.1 lb and a few other nice walleye to take 2nd Place and $256.00 with 12.1 lb total on 4 fish. The big winners where Tyler Smith and Brett Norland, with a 13.0 total on 5 fish for a total of $315.00 for 1st. One was a beautiful 6 lb walleye and the others were very healthy plump fish. 3rd Place and $197.00 went to husband and wife team of Jim and Dana Simmers of Carson, weighing in 4 fish with an 8.1. There largest was a 4.1 to break the tie of 8.1 caught by Jim Helsene and Rod Baier who’s largest was 3.8lbs. 4th place payed $138.00 5th Place and $79.00 went to Joe and Brenda Rodgers of Newtown with 6.4 lbs. on 4 fish. You can find some of the photos taken on our website gallery. www.fishindianhills.com Everyone was very sportsmen like and we all had a little fun with the competition. A Big Thanks to everyone that participated, we enjoy having you and hope to see you all continue the fun next summer.

Date: Wednesday, July 30, 2008

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Fishing Reports & Special discounts just for you. Water temp on the south side were slightly warmer over the weekend and that was where the walleye were more active. We have seen our fair share of DWC fishermen down our way for the tourney last weekend. I am curious to know if any of the big winners were near Indian Hill. If you have heard let us know. One tip I got from some fishermen that have had a great year at Indian Hills is that they are using only long lindy rigs, like 6-8 feet, and worms. “Never used a spinner yet!” They have stayed in the 18-24 foot consistently and have had good luck on both sides. Watching the temps was the key. When you find the 70+ temp try it over the 67-69 degrees. We are also fortunate that we are in an area of the lake that is clear. If anyone has been near Newtown or Van Hook you know what I am talking about. The water there is very muddy. Under the bridge is like chocolate milk. We are still seeing good inflows from the Yellowstone and that is part of the reason. The raising water is great! But because we are further from the river like area we have clear waters and that is something worth thinking about when looking for your weekend hot spot. We are not hosting the REC tourney this year due to a low number of entries by July 1st. For you that means a quiet weekend with fewer boats then usual at our ramp the 1st weekend in Aug. With the DWC over we should have our end of the lake to ourselves for a change! We have some of our best campsite open for the weekend. I will be running a special for our email subscribers and our new fishing buddy friends. If you book one night camping or in the cabins I will give you second night at half price. You will have to tell us that you are on the subscriber list or read it on fishing buddy!! If you want to book online we will figure out your discount when you check in. This offer will apply for the Aug 1-6th week only. Remember to get your entries sent in for the Bite ME Tourney too. Aug 16th. Kelly News of interest The following is a portion of an artical from the Mclean County Independent. Earlier this year predictions had the lake peaking at from 1812- to 1814 msl. Phil Brown, lake manager, Garrison Project, said even though inflows to Lake Sakakawea are on the decline, the lake is expected to rise three feet in July. Looking ahead to August, Brown said the lake should remain steady for some time. Releases should remain at about 14,450 cfs for at least another month, he added. Of the surprise rise in the lake, Brown said, “It’s refreshing.” He added his is the highest he has seen lake Sakakawea since he assumed his duties in Riverdale about seven years ago. Long-term, Brown said it is anticipated the lake will be more stable than previous years. “It sets up the Corps better for the winter,” he said. Although the rise has put a bump in the road for the marina project, the sudden rise in Lake Sakakawea has enabled Corps officials to breathe a sigh of relief. Something they haven’t been able to do for many years. The benefits are abundant. “It has provided access from Riverdale to Williston, which is a great reward – an unexpected but definitely welcome change,” Brown said. ”It’s also helped with boat access and has alleviated concern with the fishery …it’s put a dent in the noxious weed problem as well which is also good ….”

Date: Thursday, July 24, 2008

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Pat Kuhn caught a whopper small mouth at Pepsi Point. News worth sharing I thought. We forget that there is more then walleye out there and there are some fish thriving. We just don't want to fish anything but walleye. Why would we, we have one of the greatest walleye fisheries. That's what we were taught and that's what we know! It's a great discussion on fishing buddy. anyway. We have seen loads of smaller walleye in the last few weeks. That just tells we are going to have a great class a fish for the future. The water in the bay and we have had a few boats come in from across the lake to check it out. You can get to the ramp, there are lots or reeds to go around but it is just deep enough. Everyone is using the low water ramp and I would guess they will the remainder of the year. The north side has been great for the last few days. Crawlers and a few leeches, most in the 18-24 foot range. I have heard of a few bigger ( 20-23 inch) fish. They seemed to be schooled up so fishing the same spot is working well. We have a few spots open for the weekend if you want to come out. Hope to see you soon. Oh, we also have a few docks that can be used for overnighters, that is a first since 2003. 'til nest time keep fishin' Kelly

Date: Wednesday, July 16, 2008

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Fishing has been good for some and great for others. The walleye caught Tuesday were schooled up on the south side. Finding the honey hole was the only hard part. After that, they fished the same spot over and over abd caught their limits, some of the fish were 18-19 inch. Thats good news after hearing of only small ones caught for some time. There was one 3 lber that I heard of too. 10 feet with crawlers worked the best. One fishermen was using a 4 foot snell with a red eye and green stripespinner tipped with a worm. The weather patterns have changed things and this weekend we are going to see the sky clear up and that might help. We have only a few sites with ele. and water left for the weekend so don't wait to long to reserve your site. I also posted the application for the Bite Me Tourney on our home page. It's a fun day of fishing and supper to follow. Hope you can join us. Kelly

Date: Monday, July 14, 2008

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Wow July has been a crazy month so far. I have not had much of a chance to get the reports out. For the most part the fishing has been really good. The weather has had so much to do with the results. The wind really made the lake untouchable for a few days and It seems to have slowed the fishing down Sunday. I know you probably don't want to know how beautiful the lake was last night. One big sheet of glass!!! After the wind it seems hard to believe. That should settle the mud and I will let you know how the fishing is after today. The lake is calm again today. Friday, the boats that went out early were lucky enought to get many limits on the north side before the wind blasted to 40 mph. I think the fish knew that it was coming!!! The north side has been good, Goat Island, by the way is offically an island again had been good. 15-22 feet. on crawlers. I will try to get a water temp too. It seems to be colder after getting the two windy days. Last year the water was warm early and that effected the fishing, I would be curiouse to know what the comperison would be!! Anyone??? 'Til next time, keep fishin' Kelly

Date: Friday, June 20, 2008

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What a difference a day makes. All of the sudden the fish started rolling to the fish station before noon on Thursday. Lots of limits in the AM and not so many in the afternoon. Crawlers and minnows in 6-15 feet out on the flats. Today I have not seen any boat in yet. But I really think the bite is just getting started. The reports from Van hook are great, loads of fish coming in. This is good news for this area because we will be right behind them. Sharpen your hooks and get out to the lake. Kelly

Date: Monday, June 16, 2008

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The fishing was spotty with some limits but not many. Several nice walleye in the 4-5 lb range came in Sat. along with some saugeye. I think if the weather can stabalize we will really see the activity go up. The temp at the boat ramp is still only 60 degrees! The lake is really on the rise!! Crawlers and minnows are the bait of choice and there was not a spacific side or direction to speak of that was any better then the other. From the looks of it the Bobcat guys had a great time all around. Especially at the minnow races!

Date: Thursday, June 12, 2008

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Eastern Sakakawea Recreation Report June 11, 2008 Patricia Stockdill Welcome to a fun feature on the Indian Hills Web site, the Eastern Sakakawea Recreation Report. Check out whats happening on the Big Lake, lake elevation, Garrison Dam releases, and inflows from Missouri River System tributaries and fishing, of course all in one easy location: *Indian Hills Resort: Lake Sakakaweas elevation on June 11 was 1,813.2 feet above mean sea level and the big lake is increasing daily. Theres more to come with the Yellowstone and Little Missouri rivers running steady yet. The best walleye success seems to be west of the resort using nightcrawlers in 10 to 12 feet. *South shore: Weather permitting and anglers can get on the water, theyre finding some walleye success in 6 to 12 feet using Lindy rigs or jigs with minnows around Beaver or Little Soldier bays. Dont forget to try Beaver Bay, too. Nightcrawlers are also starting to work for some anglers. Shore-fishing anglers are finding a few northern pike from shore. *Van Hook: Cold, rainy, and windy weather is taking a bite out of the angling activity but prior to the weather fronts anglers were finding walleye success. Water temperatures even dipped a bit. *Garrison: Moving farther east on Lake Sakakawea, the big lake is spotty for walleye. Try the east end as far west as Douglas Bay working in a variety of depths. *Pick City: Try the islands around the east end of Lake Sakakawea, Wolf Creek, and the northeast side of Mallard Island along U.S. Highway 83 in 3 to 5 feet or 15 to 20 feet for walleye using jigs and minnows or spinners with bottom bouncers nightcrawlers or minnows. Douglas Bay is also worth a try. Slow for other species. North Dakota Rivers Report, featuring Lake Sakakaweas two major tributaries: *Missouri River: Garrison Dam average daily discharge remains at 15,000 cubic feet per second (cfs) *Little Missouri River, Long X Bridge: The streamflow average is 7,180 cfs cfs while river stage at the bridge is 8.29 feet. *Yellowstone River, Cartwright: Streamflow is 42,200 cfs while river stage is 12.27 feet. Numbers and Web sites to know: *Indian Hills Resort: (701) 743-4122. *N.D. Game & Fish Department main Bismarck office: (701) 328-6300, Web site (http://gf.nd.gov *N.D. Game & Fish Department Riverdale office: (701) 654-7475. *Report All Poachers: (800) 472-2121. *Friends of Lake Sakakawea: (www.lakesakakawea.com).

Date: Tuesday, June 10, 2008

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June 9th. The weekend was both good and bad in many ways. The wind really picked up early Sat. but it seemed to be the better day for fishing then Sunday. Sunday was calm in the AM and some storms rolled through late in the day.There where more numbers caught in the wind Sat and Sun brought one or two nice fish per boat. We are seeing a nice class of 20 -22 inch walleye beeing caught and they are looking healthy. The walleye caught Saturday where found in 10 -14 feet and the best report came from the boats that went west a few miles. The biggest change was that many hits where on crawlers not minnows. They are still hitting very lightly and many people are loosing them at the boat or mid way. Water temps are still in the 55 degree range and as warm as 60 in the bays. Try long lindys and crawlers with 2 and 3 hook rigs. One report came from some guys that fished Van hook Sat. and Indian Hills SUn. and they seen the same fishing trends there too. Have a good week, and thanks to all the new subscribers, hope you enjoy the reports

Date: Wednesday, May 28, 2008

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The Memorial Weekend was just like most, not the greatest for weather. But I have found it is just not the time for the fair weather camper or fishermen. I now believe its for the real die hards that will go out in rain and wind with the hopes to catch at least one fish, or at the very least say they got the boat out. The ones that ventured out did have a little luck. Most did not get skunked anyway. The one thing everyone said is that the walleye are there, they are just biting very lightly. You will have to really watch your line to see them hit. Each boat caught a few, the sizes ranged from 18-22 inches, and were all males. Lindys and minnows in 15-20 feet is where most were found. Monday was a better day and one boat released a 6 lb walleye and kept a few more. Everyone has said they are looking very healthy, and that was good to hear. The lake is on the rise and thats grate news for everyone. A few kids were not going to let the rain stop them and headed for the dock. They pulled out a great walleye that had everyone envious and wondering why they put themselves and their boats through the trouble. Just another great story for the kids to tell their friends and you can bet they will be hooked for life. Remember the weekend of June 7-8th is a free fishing weekend so take someone out that has never fished and get them hooked too. til next time, think summer, Kelly

Date: Monday, May 19, 2008

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The boat ramp is open and the fishing was a little slow for a couple of diehards that went out on Sat. amd Sun. The water is still a little cold for this time of year. A few warm days will help. Try lindy rigs and Minnows in 8-15 feet. We will have live bait on Thursday!!! Hope to see you soon. Kelly

Date: Friday, May 16, 2008

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Great news for those of you that want to get out on the water this weekend. The ramp was just finished today and teh dock will go in ASAP. The only bad news is that my bait man thought I wanted bait next Thursday!! Not this week. So you will have to stop and get your bait before you come. Last year at this time we had some of the best finshing of the year. The water is still pretty cold in comparison but with these temps that may change quickly. I have sites and cabin open for the Memorial Weekend if you are still thinking of coming out for the long weekend. Have a good one. Kelly

Date: Thursday, May 15, 2008

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Eastern Sakakawea Recreation Report
May 14, 2008
Patricia Stockdill

Welcome to a new feature on the Indian Hills Web site, the Eastern Sakakawea Recreation Report. Check out whats happening on the Big Lake, lake elevation, Garrison Dam releases, and inflows from Missouri River System tributaries and fishing, of course all in one easy location:

*Indian Hills Resort: Lake Sakakaweas elevation on May 14 was 1,807.8 feet above mean sea level. The lake is experiencing gentle increases in elevation. Water temperatures remain cold in the 40-degree range - and walleye are in their post spawn lull, so there isnt much activity. Some anglers are working Deepwater Day but success is slow yet. Work continues on boat ramp upgrades, which includes a new poured concrete ramp 30 feet wide. It will replace the old 16-foot concrete planking with slide-in metal ramp when its fully operational.
*Van Hook: A few more anglers are taking to the water and theyre finding a few more walleye in the process. Try Lindy rigs or jigs with minnows. Water temperatures are finally starting to warm up slightly.
*Garrison: Moving farther east on Lake Sakakawea, fishing activity was limited because of the much welcomed rain and snow.
*Pick City: The east end of the Big Lake remains slow for walleyes but a few northern pike continue to be picked up from the back bays.

North Dakota Rivers Report, featuring Lake Sakakaweas two major tributaries:
*Missouri River: Garrison Dam average daily discharge is 11,000 cubic feet per second (cfs)
*Yellowstone River, Cartwright: Streamflow information was unavailable but river stage is 64.41 feet.
*Little Missouri River, Long X Bridge: The streamflow average is 4,950 cfs while river stage at the bridge is 7.33 feet. The river is dropping after reaching flows of almost 8,000 cfs with a river stage of more than 8 feet early in the week

Numbers and Web sites to know:
*Indian Hills Resort: (701) 743-4122.
*N.D. Game & Fish Department main Bismarck office: (701) 328-6300, Web site (http://gf.nd.gov)
*N.D. Game & Fish Department Riverdale office: (701) 654-7475.
*Report All Poachers: (800) 472-2121.
*Friends of Lake Sakakawea: (www.lakesakakawea.com).