[Bluebill]

If potholes are dry or levels real low, doesn't anyone hunt large lakes.
I am going out scouting tomorrow in the Wishek to Linton area. South of Wishek there are a bunch of small lakes. Are these worth hunting or is there other good lakes in the area? I am from MN and love big water hunting.

 

[MRN]

The problem is that big water takes a lot of expensive equipment that typically isn't needed to hunt waterfowl in ND. A boat, blind and motor costs a lot more, is a much greater commitment, than are waders and pail. Even little marsh boats aren't good on "big water".
Sure, we'd all love to have big water/cold weather waterfowl boats, but shelling out $5000 to pop some scaup is tough to rationalize when you can
bag green heads for $100 in equipment.

Scouting will be the only way to answer your other questions.

M.

 

[Decoyer]

You have to remember that a lot of those big "lakes" south of Wishek are just oversized sloughs. Most of them were dry cattail sloughbottoms in the falls of the last drought. I know this because I grew up hunting pheasants out of them.