Outdoor notes:

*Fall crow season opens.

*Sept. 1: Dove season opens.

*Sept. 2: Fall turkey applications due.

*Sept. 4: Pronghorn (lottery licenses only) and deer archery seasons open.

*Remaining deer licenses now available on first-come-first-served basis. Go to the N.D. Game & Fish Dept. website, (gf.nd.gov) for details and application.

*N.D. Dept. of Environmental Quality blue-green algae warning for Stump Lake and advisories for Buffalo, and Coal Mine lakes.

*Do not release any fish caught from water 25 feet and deeper because their swim bladder likely won’t allow them to survive when coming up from deep water.

*Watchable Wildlife photo contest underway with Oct. 2 deadline. Contact N.D. Game & Fish Dept. conservation biologist, Patrick Isakson, pisakson@nd.gov for details.

*Boating accidents should be reported to local game wardens.

*Remember to bring insect repellent and sunscreen when outdoors.

Fishing:

Devils Lake elevation, Aug. 19: 1,449.63 feet above mean sea level (MSL).

Stump Lake elevation: 1,449.65 MSL.

*N.D. Game & Fish Dept. game wardens: Activity generally slowed with area lakes getting weedy along with blue-green algae issues. Please follow advisory precautions if a lake is posted with advisory or warning. No Devils Lake or Missouri River System reports.

*Devils Lake, Ed’s Bait Shop, Devils Lake: Continued walleye success using spinners and bottom bouncers with nightcrawlers. Also try lead-core or crankbaits in deeper water. Leech season is over for availability.

*Devils Lake, Lakeview Lodge, Devils Lake: Continued good small walleye success. Work along the weed beds for larger beds

*Devils Lake, Woodland Resort, Devils Lake: Continued fair to good for walleye. Try trolling crankbaits or spinners with bottom bouncers and nightcrawlers around Pelican Lake or West Bay in 18 to 24 feet.

*Lake Darling, Karma C-Store, Ruthville: OK walleye success around the upper end of Lake Darling and Grano.

*Lake Darling, Upper Souris Nat’l. Wildlife Refuge, Foxholm: Improving but scattered walleye success from boats with bullheads from shore. OK water quality but that could change with recent hot weather.

*Lake Metigoshe, Four Seasons, Bottineau: Continued good bluegill success in the shallows and weed beds with a few walleye in 12 to 15 feet. Good pike activity with some nice-sized ones showing up.

*Lake Sakakawea/Lake Audubon, Cenex Bait & Tackle, Garrison: Fair to good for walleye on the east end in a variety of depths from 18 to 25 feet in the morning. Work shallower during the afternoon. Try a variety of presentations.

*Lake Sakakawea, Indian Hills Resort, Garrison: Fair to good for walleye with improving consistency. Good numbers of small fish. Work a variety of depths. Try slow death hooks or Lindy rigs with nightcrawlers working the north shore and east.

*North-central/central N.D. lakes, Rugby Hdwe. Hank, Rugby: Limited reports from area lakes.

*North-central/central N.D. lakes, Towner Hdwe. Hank, Towner: Area lakes generally slow with some weed growth on a few lakes. Souris River also slow.

*Turtle Mtn. area lakes, Coast-2-Coast, Rolla: Area lakes becoming weedy but look for some trout through the weeds on Strawberry Lake (Bottineau County). No Devils Lake reports.

Paddle craft river elevation & flows:

*Big Coulee, Churchs Ferry: Coulee stage, 49.94 feet.

*Deep River, Upham: river stage, 6.8 feet; streamflow, 1.67 CFS.

*Little Coulee, Leeds: Coulee stage, 66.42; streamflow, 62 CFS.

*Mauvais Coulee, Cando: Coulee stage, 4.88 feet; streamflow, 0.09 CFS.

*Morrison Lake, Webster: Lake elevation, 59.04 feet.

*Pembina River, Walhalla: River stage, 1.98 feet; streamflow, 108 CFS.

*Souris River, Bantry: River stage, 1.68 feet; streamflow, 23.7 CFS.

Numbers to know:

*N.D. Game and Fish Dept., main Bismarck office: (701) 328-6300, website: gf.nd.gov.

*N.D. Game and Fish Dept., Devils Lake office: (701) 662-3617.

*Report All Poachers: (800) 472-2121 or (701) 328-9921.