By Nick Simonson Despite a slow start to North Dakota’s spring turkey hunting season with cooler temperatures, wind, rain, and some snow in late April after opener, conditions have improved for hunters in the back half of the season, and more birds and success are being found along with good areas of habitat and improvements…

By Nick Simonson The late spring and cooler water temperatures throughout lakes country in west central Minnesota will likely result in anglers finding walleyes just coming off the spawn for the approaching opener, though this doesn’t mean the bite will be slow, according to Nathan Olson, Minnesota Department of Natural Resources Area Fisheries Supervisor for…

By Doug Leier  By mid-May, some North Dakota anglers have had weeks on the water since the new license season of April 1 began. That’s a subtle reminder to purchase your new license if you haven’t already. If your boat registration is expired, it’s time to renew. Both of which can be done efficiently on…

NDG&F Release The North Dakota Game and Fish Department announced today that the state’s 2026 paddlefish snagging season will close Friday, May 8 at 7 p.m. Central time to any additional harvest to provide long-term protection of the paddlefish population. An additional snag-and-release extended season will begin May 9 and run through May 15. Paddlefish…

By Brad Durick A little heat turned things on for the catfish in the Red River in and around Grand Forks over the past weekend, but the water remains in the low 50s with these recent cool days. The river level is stable to a slight rise, and the catfish are responding well. Active fish…

By Mike Peluso It’s been an interesting week for walleyes on the Missouri River. Saturday the flow played host to the annual Big Muddy fishing tournament.  This event marks that point in the season where I’m nearing the end of my spring guiding.  I would love it if the springs would last forever.  It’s one of…

By Nick Simonson The call rang out from one side of the lake and was echoed from the other by a different set of voices as I finished off the morning’s work at the lake cabin.  Having been a long winter, I had seemingly for just a second forgotten what the loud warbling was going…

By Nick Simonson While I’ve always appreciated the fly rod, and made it my go-to when fishing specifically for trout in just about any environment from stocked fish in a reservoir to wild ones in a river or creek, I’ve found that covering water in those larger impoundments and lakes where trout are present requires…

By Nick Simonson This spring, as ice peels back from area lakes and rivers and angling and boating opportunities begin to open up, members of the North Dakota Game & Fish Department (NDG&F) are enlisting the help of those using watercraft of all sorts to help the agency prevent the spread of aquatic nuisance species…

By Brad Durick Here we are in 2026 and already catfishing on the Red River. It feels like this spring is taking forever, yet it is still very early for catfishing. I guess the past two years have spoiled us with warmer, stable starts to the season. With only an outing to go on for…

By Doug Leier  By the time you’re a high school senior, you’ve probably heard it all if you’ve mentioned an interest in wildlife, fisheries, or the outdoors as a career. “That’d be a fun job … but you better have a backup plan.”  I’ve worked in the natural resource field long enough to know there’s…

By Mike Peluso The spawn is on for the walleyes of the Missouri River in and around the Bismarck area.  However, I’m never overly excited about the spawn on the river each spring.  It always marks me nearing the end of my spring river guiding.   The one thing I’ll say however, is that the…

By Nick Simonson I’m a sucker for my favorite lures.  If you want to talk about impulse buying, bags of Dots pretzels and packs of Reese’s peanut butter cups in the checkout lane have nothing on a shiny new stickbait sitting on a tackle aisle shelf in spring. Just picturing the flashy rips through the…

By Nick Simonson At the confluence of the Missouri and Yellowstone Rivers at the start of May, you’ll find a cadre of anglers looking to connect with one of those waters’ most ancient and unique species of fish. However, it isn’t the normal angling tactics that pay off when targeting paddlefish in North Dakota, as…

By Mike Peluso It has been an awesome week for walleyes out here in Bismarck North Dakota getting back on the Missouri River fishing the open water again!  Warm weather helped melt some ice and dried some stuff out a little.   We also saw some boat ramps open up and even a couple of…

By Nick Simonson Last week’s warmth brought with it what I can only hope is the final melt of the season, despite knowing that Mother Nature always has a few wintry tricks up her sleeves, even well into May.  For that reason, the Minnesota fishing opener always serves as the “safe point” on my calendar…

By Nick Simonson With the thirtieth animal taken, this year’s river otter trapping season has come to a close for resident trappers in North Dakota.  Many people aren’t aware of the riverine mammal’s presence in the state, and fewer still know of the trapping season which has been in effect since 2017. Nevertheless, these unique…

By Doug Leier As much as we look forward to it each year, early ice season always brings a mix of excitement and concern. The excitement is understandable. For many North Dakotans, there’s something about that first layer of ice stretching across a favorite slough or lake that gets the blood pumping. Anglers start texting…

By Nick Simonson Whether it’s hitting an icy road as the winter driving season gets underway or laying in bed after staying too long at the office holiday party the night before, the spins are never a good thing.  They’re even worse when you’re pursuing your favorite fish at first ice, as a twisting, turning…

NDG&F Release Any fish house left unoccupied on North Dakota waters must be made of materials that allow it to float. In addition, fish houses do not require a license. Other fish house regulations include: More information on ice fishing and ice house regulations can be found at: https://gf.nd.gov/regulations/fishing#manner-hook-line-ice-fishing Featured Photo: Rules regarding fish houses…

By Nick Simonson As early ice settles in across the region and anglers take their first tentative steps out onto their favorite waters, the excitement builds for a season full of fast action, especially at the outset when fish are most aggressive under the frozen surface.  From lakes teeming with walleyes to those prairie sloughs…

By Nick Simonson One of my favorite outdoor competitions – beyond the Bassmasters Classic, those old late night Lumberjack Games on ESPN Ocho, and any local ice fishing derby that boasts a good meal and warm social afterward – is the Fat Bear Week hosted online by the Katmai National Park and its supporters.  The…

By Doug Leier   What makes darkhouse spearfishing stand out from other types of fishing, especially in the winter?  Is it more challenging? Absolutely. Does it bring a unique kind of success and satisfaction? No doubt about it.   Fishing in winter already comes with its own set of challenges. Unlike summer, where your biggest travel issue…

By Nick Simonson With a year of record-level reproduction for walleyes on Devils Lake, and abundant year classes presenting fish from that young-of-the-year slot on up to those eater sized ‘eyes in the 15-to-20 inch range, the sprawling water is primed for a good ice fishing season, according to Bryan Sea, North Dakota Game &…

NDG&F Dept. Release HuntLink is a new, voluntary program designed to help North Dakota landowners easily connect with hunters and trappers. The program offers a simple way to allow managed access for antlerless deer, coyotes, turkeys, and other species. For landowners experiencing wildlife depredation or looking for additional management tools, HuntLink can help.     Landowners can enroll through…

By Nick Simonson With a sudden chill, first ice is fast upon us, but as local lakes and waters freeze up and anglers eagerly await the initial inches to form, now is an important time to take stock of those safety items that are as necessary at the beginning of the hardwater season as they…

By Nick Simonson When it comes to the late season for pheasant hunters – the start of which is unofficially marked by the Thanksgiving holiday weekend, and this year’s timely first significant snow event in the region – it is sometimes difficult to figure out how birds have been impacted by the sudden change in…