Anglers should find good perch fishing opportunities throughout the southeastern region of North Dakota this winter. Simonson Photo.
By Nick Simonson
The first hardwater anglers are creeping out onto the ice, and good fishing is likely to meet those venturing out in southeastern North Dakota this winter, according to BJ Kratz, Southeastern Fisheries District Supervisor for the North Dakota Game and Fish Department (NDG&F).
Following a challenging winter last year, where angler mobility was limited by snow and opportunities to get out were thwarted many days by blizzards; so far this season, with the lack of snow to start, Kratz details that a lot of great opportunities exist on popular waters and some sleepers for walleyes, perch and pike in the area.
“We’re looking a lot better than we did last year at this time, that’s for sure. Generally speaking, we haven’t had any snowfall, and we had some cool nights in the latter part of November that have led up to some pretty decent formation of early ice. Most district lakes are sitting at about 4 or 5 inches right now. As far as water levels go, we’re on the average 18-to-24-inches below the high watermark in most of the fisheries in the southeast district, so there should be ample water there to support the fishermen,” Kratz reveals of the early ice conditions.
The Big Four
On Lake Ashtabula north of Valley City, Kratz highlighted an up-and-coming population of bluegills on the impoundment, with a solid number of 7-to-8-inch panfish showing up in surveys conducted by the agency. It’s likely they will be a draw for anglers who also have opportunities to catch walleyes, perch and crappies on the reservoir bounded by Baldhill Dam on the south end.
Pipestem Reservoir continues its comeback after a winterkill in 2018, though the fish structure has changed somewhat, with abundant populations of perch and pike being a draw, and a good number of walleyes showing up now as well. Where most of the crappie population was lost five winters ago, Kratz noted there was good carryover of young specks from their spawn in the spring of 2022, and they will likely provide good fishing in the future.
For those seeking an immediate crappie fix, Kratz recommends heading to Jamestown Reservoir, where the past year’s creel surveys detailed an estimated harvest of 30,000 crappies from the impoundment, with an amazing average size of 11 inches. Additionally, 1,700 walleyes and 1,300 perch were taken from Jamestown Reservoir.
“That certainly is pretty good harvest numbers, but there’s still a lot of fish out there. Our sampling out there in 2023 suggests that that fishery, particularly the crappie situation, is in pretty good shape. So I would expect a repeat of last year,” Kratz predicts about Jamestown Reservoir.
On Spiritwood Lake, an increasing perch and walleye population has brought optimism for local anglers, as opportunities for both species have improved. For walleyes a strong 2018 year class is contributing to a more regular catch of fish in the three-pound range, providing a quality opportunity, along with a sampling of older walleyes presenting a shot at a trophy under the ice as well this season on Spiritwood Lake.
Sleeper Stops
For walleyes, several prairie lakes are kicking out good numbers of walleyes, both in terms of abundant eater-sized fish and the chance at some large ones as well. Kratz suggests anglers visit the Mud-Pearl Lake Complex north of Medina, and Jay Nelson Lake south of the town for good walleye angling that has just come online. Ole Breum Lake east of Forman boasts a significant population, with an average size of 14 inches and walleyes up to 26 inches in length, with a similar sampling coming from Arnies Lake near Gackle. Additionally, Mosher WPA near Sibley is a walleye-only lake with lots of good keeper-sized fish in lengths from 13 to 22 inches.
For Perch, Kratz recommends anglers explore the larger Brooks Complex southeast of Cleveland, where a number of year classes provide fast perch action, but the top end of the spectrum shows many over 12 inches. Additionally, Hieb Lake northeast of Medina has a burgeoning population of yellow perch from a single stocking occurring back in 2014 by the NDG&F. Finally, recent perennial perch producer North Eckelson Lake between Jamestown and Valley City provides anglers with great opportunities for foot long jumbos each winter, and it will do so again this season according to surveys by Kratz and his team.
For those seeking pike this winter, Twin Lake near LaMoure remains a destination for both numbers of fish and those northerns of larger-than-average size as well. Off the beaten path, Berntstons Lake doesn’t get a lot of pressure, and pike from two-to-five pounds will keep flags popping on tip-ups all day long. Flood Lake by Kulm supports a population of pike over five pounds and Grass Lake near Lidgerwood can produce northerns between three and six pounds through the ice.
All Restocked
In total, the district lost 28 lakes last year to winterkill, as significant snow accumulations caused oxygen concentrations to dwindle by mid-winter. Thankfully, all of those waters were restocked this summer with the same species available in them before, to get a head start on the rebuilding process.
“We were fortunate enough in the spring of 2023 to come up with enough perch brood from other district lakes to hit basically every winterkilled lake that had a perch population in it before. So, we got a jump start on things, otherwise it takes another year or something to get fish in those,” Kratz explains, “and then of course the hatchery system was able to produce enough walleye in 2023 to meet our requests. So, everything for the most part got restocked in 2023,” he concludes.
Kratz encourages anglers to check the status of their favorite lakes in the southeast district via the NDG&F winterkill list, detailing those that experienced low oxygen and confirmed fish die-offs. The list is available online at gf.nd.gov/fishing/winterkill-watch-list. For each of those waters in a rebuilding state, there are many others that sportsmen can visit at early ice to find good opportunities immediately.