Things are a little "behind" this year on Sakakawea, which sounds bad, but I love it...let me explain. The water temps in the bays we're still fishing are low to mid sixty degrees, which means we're still catching tons of fish with what I find to be the most enjoyable, hands-on, feel-that-bite-and-set-the-hook presentation of all...jigs! Minnows, leeches, or chunks of plastic are all working great, and we haven't caught a walleye deeper than eight feet for weeks, many days - especially windy ones - getting them in as little as two feet. All of this makes me - and my clients - very happy campers, and is partly the reason I haven't done a fishing report in a while, because it still feels like late spring!
The other thing likely helping to keep things this way is the fact that while water levels are relatively low they are moving up from the snow melt and the recent flooding happening up at Yellowstone. When the water rises, fish move into (or in this case, remain in) the bays chasing bait in all the newly-flooded, warm water.
Deepwater has been our destination quite frequently lately, but we've had some success out east as well. Per usual, there are probably fewer fish east but sometimes a better average size. Not that the fish west are twinkies as we've frequently had days with 19-inch averages and a few four to five pounders. Basically, it's good livin' at Sak right now. Ramps are becoming more accessible, and the fish are snappin,' so come on out and catch your share!
I did also spend five days early June at Devils Lake, which I don't do often, to make a few videos and guide an old group of friends. The report there is still shallow water with wind (4-8 feet) and a little deeper if calm (12 feet and maybe in some timber) with plastics, crankbaits, and slip bobbers.
Also, while I put out these fishing reports to give some general guidance for planning trips, I do have my more frequent, more in-depth fishing reports available on Patreon through this link right here: https://www.patreon.com/bloemendaalfishing
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