In a news release, FishingBooker ranked Devils Lake at No. 3 in its list of the “eight best ice fishing destinations” in the country, behind the Brainerd, Minnesota, area and Lake Habeeb in Maryland.
In a news release, FishingBooker ranked Devils Lake at No. 3 in its list of the “eight best ice fishing destinations” in the country, behind the Brainerd, Minnesota, area and Lake Habeeb in Maryland.
kfundingsland@minotdailynews.com
We’re in the midst of what winter can do in North Dakota, at least in terms of temperatures and wind. Ugly. Cold. Nasty. Prohibitive. But hey, the end of winter is in sight!
It may not seem that way, but for long-time North Dakotans who have experienced winters lasting from early October and into March and April, this winter has been a walk in the park. January proved to be the third warmest in recorded history for the Minot and snow cover, well, there just hasn’t been any. A bit here and there, but no intersections obscured by snow piles or impassable country roads.
kfundingsland@minotdailynews.com
Although now officially frozen over, this photograph of the Riverdale bluffs area shows extensive open water on Lake Sakakawea on Jan. 13. Lake Sakakawea was declared frozen on Jan. 24, the latest date in history.
An all too typical winter in North Dakota is when snow piles up on lakes already covered by a thick ice pack, so much so that ice anglers need to use extensions on their augers to punch through two to three feet of ice. Sometimes freeze-up comes early in the winter season too, adding days and weeks to a long season and threatening the dissolved oxygen content vital to life under the ice. Winter kills of fish often follows.
Organizers cancel Devils Lake ice fishing tournament for safety reasons
Organizers made the difficult decision to cancel the tournament Saturday, Jan. 23, after checking the ice in the tournament area on Six-Mile Bay, said Cory Meyer, a member of the Devils Lake Volunteer Fire Department s Tournament Committee. Written By: Brad Dokken | ×
Anglers gather on Six-Mile Bay of Devils Lake in January 2020 for the 36th annual Devils Lake Volunteer Fire Department Ice Fishing Tournament. Organizers have canceled this year s event because there isn t enough safe ice in the area where the tournament is held. The tournament is always held the last Saturday in January, but the fishing and raffle prizes now will be awarded during a virtual event set for 7 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 30. (Photo/ Eric Hylden, Grand Forks Herald)