Sun Fish.  The return of some sunny days may improve fishing in the near term on Devils Lake after a stretch of overcast and foggy conditions. DEO Photo by Mike Peluso. 

By Mike Peluso

Once again not much has changed here in North Dakota as far as the ice, snow, slush and access for hard shacks and vehicles without tracks. If you are looking at fishing Devils Lake, you are really limited. Currently, plowed access is available at Woodland, East Bay Resort and the Casino.

As we go out, we are experiencing lots of slush pockets on the lakes, and there is not much you can do about that other than to go out in a group and help each other out if you do get hung up. Definitely having numbers as far as help goes is a good thing at this point in the winter.

The fishing for the most part is slower. We had such an extended period of time of fog and overcast, I think the fish in general slowed themselves down. The sun finally popped back out now and hopefully this will get the fish moving again in the coming days.

If you are looking to ice fish on Devils Lake, I do have a few dates in February available. For the most part now, I’m taking bookings for the open water season both on the Missouri River near Bismarck this spring, and Lake Sakakawea this summer. I hope everyone is having a great winter ice season so far!

Mike Peluso is a Dakota Edge Outdoors contributing writer and a licensed ND fishing guide specializing in walleyes on the state’s premier waters.