North Dakota’s September slog: Sakakawea walleyes tough until the water cools

September on Sakakawea is a percentage game. Licensed North Dakota guide Mike Peluso’s Sept. 9 “September Slog” in News Dakota says walleyes get extremely hard to catch every September. His answer: keep going over them until one eats. Pulling crankbaits through as many schools as possible is the play until the water cools and fish start to bulk for winter.

On the Missouri near Bismarck he is waiting on the Corps of Engineers to cut Garrison Dam. He writes that mid-September the release drops to 13,000 cfs, which will change the river bite. Some anglers are already catching fish near town; he is holding his Bismarck guide trips for Oct. 1.

His Sept. 2 close-out on Sak said the lake was still full of 16- to 18-inch walleyes on slow-death, prop, and Lindy rigs with crawlers. Confirm current ND Game and Fish walleye limits before you keep a limit. This is a guide report, not a department closure.

This is a The Gillnet news desk summary, not a reprint.

Source: News Dakota — The Peluso Report: September Slog (Sept. 9, 2026).