Missouri River (ND Lower Portion) - Sunday, May 10, 2009

dakoutdoors: I took a trip by car to all the Mandan launches down to the casino marina.   Water clarity is plenty good enough to fish down the system.   High water (cement) ramp is usable with the dock in at Ft. Rice.   If you were not using this location last year you may not recognize it with all the water.   I'm glad I have the channel marked in with all the overland flooding down there.  One boat rig at the ramp Sat.

Ramp at the Prarie Knights casino looks good and is usable.  Fish cleaning station looks inoperative as of Saturday(needs lotsa work looks like to me).   Launch is in a protective bay compared to out in the current last year.   Lotsa new water.  The highline towers down there have water fishable around them again.  Lots of flooded vegatation.   One boat rig at ramp on Sat. 

Up river to Graners/Sugarloaf is usable and half a dozen rigs using it.   Boat dock was not in as of Saturday but guessing will be in soon with the tourney this weekend launching there or in the vacinity.   Watched a very large boat (triton 215 w/ 300hp merc.) load here without any problems. 

Little Heart/ Schmidt bottoms is very usable at this time and had 3 rigs setting there.    Dock is in the water there.  Many rocks/boulders setting on the parking lot ready to redo the ramp, whenever that will take place; unsure. 

I haven't been out on the water in a couple weeks but the water clarity at all locations above looks very fishable and a lot better than I saw several weeks ago. 

Cannonball river is still flowing, muddy, looks like one may be able to fish up into the river if interested but it needs to clear some before i'd get interested.    I saw some arial views of Beaver Bay last week and that looks usable but not sure on clarity there. 

All in all looks good to fish down south, water clarity not too much of a concern unless you are just downstream of one of the tributaries dumping muddy water in.   Not all boat docks in.   Lotsa water in the weeds starting at about the Eckroth corner and south.  

Shore fishing farther south like at Ft. Rice is going to be tough with the water invading the shoreline weed growth.   Check with someone before you go.   Did see a few rigs shore fishing at Eckroth and Huff in each location.  

Tags: water, river, ramp, fish, sunday, missouri, 0, usable, portion, lower

Region: Missouri River (ND Lower Portion)

Categories: Fishing