After the heavy snow last winter and the possible end of a drought that has ravaged the region for almost a decade, more people are out this summer enjoying area lakes and their higher water levels.

For local and state North Dakota Game and Fish Department officials, the higher lake levels are a long-awaited, welcome sight for which the increase of people on Lake Sakakawea and other lakes is an added bonus.

“We’re very pleased the water level is high. It’s certainly better than about two years ago; we’re hoping it stays in this region,” said Fred Ryckman, Game and Fish Northwest District Fisheries supervisor in Williston.

Ryckman said the levels on Lake Sakakawea went from about 1805 or 1806 feet to over 1835 feet this year. As of Wednesday, the big lake stood at 1840.1, or 19.2 feet higher than a year ago.

Ryckman said the increase in levels should revitalize the fish populations to provide better fish and fishing for anglers. “It was terrible, very bleak. The fishery was in decline and the lake’s been so low for so long we wanted it back,” said Ryckman.

Lake Sakakawea is now at its highest level since the 2000. The main reasons for the increase, he said, were possible changes in the weather pattern from the drought conditions, coupled with the massive amount of water from the spring snow melt.

Ryckman said if the department had a choice, it prefers to see gradual increases in lake levels, rather than the sudden jump like this spring. A downside to such a rapid rise so much above-water habitat for animals around the lake is lost, he said..

“There’s a bit of a tradeoff. The tradeoff is it recharges the lake levels, but it floods the habitats of whitetail deer, pheasants and other species,” said Ryckman.

Another official happy with the increase of levels on Lake Sakakawea and elsewhere is the department’s Scott Gangl, Fisheries Management Section leader in Bismarck.

Gangl said with Lake Sakakawea on the rise, it probably means more people are out on the lake and fewer people are at smaller lakes in the area.

He said people were going to the smaller lakes because access at Sakakawea wasn’t very good.

“For anglers, there’s a lot more accessibility so that’s a good benefit for anglers,” said Gangl of the higher levels on Sakakawea.

Gangl said the increase in water levels should revitalize the lake and make for better fish.

“When you flood, it releases nutrients and there’s plenty of food for (fish). It should be a good year for reproduction. We were curious about how the fish would look this year; people are starting to catch some healthy looking fish,” said Gangl.

Gangl agreed with Ryckman that although the higher lake levels are very welcomed, they’d prefer to see a more gradual increase.

“It came up so quickly, we’d like more to see a stair-step rise of about 10 feet per year for three, four years. If we had Mother Nature at our call, we’d have hoped for a stair-step,” said Gangl.

Nonetheless, Gangl said they are happy with the overall situation and hope it continues. He said Game and Fish anticipates an increase in fishing licenses since higher lake levels coincide with such increases.

He added everyone’s glad to see the increase of people going out and visiting the various recreation areas.

“It’s good to see people out there enjoying their natural resources,” Gangl said.