Devils Lake trip

[picksbigwagon]

I have been thinking about taking a trip up to devils lake this year and I had a few questions: how late does the season go up there? can a guy just pull out on that lake and start finding fish? ( Yes I realize the ginormous size of the lake ) I don't have an atv or sled, so is it possible to fish fairly well from a truck?

Any help here would be appreciated. I don't have a lot of money to spend on the trip, in fact gas alone will put a huge pinch on the budget.

[iffwalleyes]

The season runs year round out here. They don't close the season in ND. Your non res. license will run about $25 or so. Right now you won't have any problem in a truck. Most of our snow storms have been followed with hugh winds so most of the snow has blown off the lakes. We also have had some really nice and warm days the past couple weeks and that has melted much of the snow. I will say this I haven't fished DL this year but I have heard that the perch have been slow pretty much all year but the walleyes and pike have been pretty steady. So just keep that in mind if you are after perch.

[picksbigwagon]

the biggest lake I have ice fished is mille lacs so I am assuming that this lake is no different in that every resort has roads marked out to spots, charges and access fee and like Mille, some resorts are very helpful and others couldn't give a (find your own term here). any suggestions on where to fish out of and a decent ( I mean cheap but clean ) hotel we could stay at? How late does the ice fishing go, we would be looking towards the end of march for this year...........

[Littlejerk]

go to www.devilslakend.com and click on tourism that will give you a list of hotels motels

[hanson]

I would say Devils Lake is definitely NOT the Mille Lacs of North Dakota. There are a few resorts although I have never used one. There are a series of roads that are plowed all over the lake and access is free through many of the public accesses.

It can be a very tough lake to fish, I've struggled the few times I've been out there but have always caught fish. There is structure all over the place. It is pretty crazy. I would pick up Lakemaster's map of Devil's Lake and coordinate with your GPS to get on these spots.

Being mobile is definitely key. You can find the perch up in the trees or they may be out in the main basin of the bays.

Remember that Devil's Lake is some 20+ miles from one end to another.

[picksbigwagon]

Hanson, thanks for the help, I didn't realize that devils wasn't resortized to death, that must be a minnesota thing to do to a body of water. I always have my gps along, and I would definately get a map too.....how late does the ice last for vehicles to drive on the lake? like I said before, I am looking at late march

[hanson]

picksbigwagon-

Devil's Lake may be the only lake I know that doesn't have develop everywhere on the shoreline. Of course there are reasons for this- the water level keeps rising.

It is a very interesting lake to fish and you can learn a lot from fishing it. You can auger a hole 2' from a tree trunk and be in 24' of water fishing in the branches of the tree. Its pretty weird.

Late March should be fine but ya never know.

[iffwalleyes]

Ya you build a resort on this sucker it will swallow you up. Good place to try are along the flooded timber there is plent of that. I have always headed there when I fished up there but I haven't fished if for a few years. The bait shops in town are usually pretty good and have a good idea where fish. But that also means that everyone who stopped in there that day also is heading to those spots. Spring time you will always have pretty good luck in the Channel A area.

[deadstick]

You're better off with a truck than a snowmobile or ATV anyways. Bring a house along in the back, set it up in the morning in trees for walleye. Then, hop in your truck and start trolling - drill holes all over hell and fish out of the seat of your pickup until you find the perch (A Vexilar is a must for this type of fishing though).

Ice is pretty thick now - no problems driving anywhere (I was out Wednesday and drove across the entire lake).

[deadstick]

Try about 60-70 miles, not 20