SD Missouri River Fishing Report

https://www.sdmissouririver.com/
Cheers to Another Great Fishing Season!

As today lands our final fishing report for the season, we’d like to thank our local fishing guides and resources for providing us with information to share with our readers. Thanks also to our dedicated readers! If there are new locations on the Missouri River system you would like to see in our fishing report, please email us at info@sdmissouririver.com. We will see you in the winter for an Ice Fishing Update & 2026 Spring Outlook on the Missouri River!

All our best,
The SD Missouri River Tourism Team
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In Mobridge (https://mobridge.org/)  and Pollock (http://www.pollocksouthdakota.com/) , the MoRest Motel (https://www.sdmissouririver.com/directory/view/morest-motel/)  shared the fall bite has not reached its peak yet. With cooler weather nearing and the full moon behind us, fishing should turn around pretty quick.

Around Akaska, Chad Schilling with Oahe Wings & Walleyes (https://oahewings.com/)  reported that fishing is still really tough. Finding fish is not a problem but getting them to eat is a different story. The recent freeze should kickstart the fall bite. Anglers are optimistic about having a good fall run with lots of fish still in the system.
In the Whitlock Bay area near Gettysburg (http://cityofgettysburg.com/) , South Whitlock Resort (https://www.southwhitlock.com/)  shared anglers have picked up more salmon over the weekend from shore. Walleye fishing has been pretty much the same as last week, mostly shallower in 12-16ft. Otherwise, anglers are trying to get them at 30-50ft. Some are having luck over trees, but the deep drop-offs have been producing a better bite. There’s a nice variety of action with catfish, small mouth, perch, and white bass being picked up. Early morning and evening hours are best.

Incredible Salmon Shore Fishing
Photo Curtesy of South Whitlock Resort (https://www.southwhitlock.com/)
Bob’s Resort (https://www.bobsresort.com/)  updated that not much has changed since last week in the area. There were some windy days but also nicer days over the weekend as well. Fishing has been producing a little bit of everything right now. Docks have been steady with out-of-state boaters. Still catching salmon from shore. Walleye haven’t been hot and heavy, but anglers are landing some here and there by presenting over trees. Using live bait and starting at 25-30ft, work your way out to deeper waters 50ft and more for the big ones with jig raps. Live bait is minnow and worm. Anglers are catching small mouth in shallower waters and some walleye too.
On the southern end of Lake Oahe, you can refer to the Outpost Lodge (https://outpostsd.com/?fbclid=IwY2xjawM1JLBleHRuA2FlbQIxMABicmlkETFVc1dxazRES2NIRHFLOE51AR4c8S5vf9nKn7w6xpvUJkM-N3nCDejpTMGL1mvY40ncnt1GigED9etI5ffbcQ_aem_bW2PIlR1dnZIwBPS6OHxHQ) ‘s report from last week:
Salmon fishing has been excellent. They have a new salmon guide, Long Hair Guide Service, who has availability this season. The walleye bite has slowed down with only a few still catching giants. Bass fishing has been top notch, with some bag limits of 25# for your 5. Pike fishing has also been great! Go for deeper than 30ft and you will see the magic. The Stockman’s Tournament will start Friday night with a rules meeting and fishing all weekend. The grouse hunting this year will be the talk of the decade! The Outpost Lodge has found several open spots on the shoreline via public hunting access and are seeing tons of birds; get your dog and come on out. The Outpost Lodge has dinner specials every night, featuring local Meire Meats all-beef patties for hamburgers. Cabins are available with fall rates!
Propst Professional Anglers (https://propstprofessionalanglers.com/?fbclid=IwY2xjawM1HgVleHRuA2FlbQIxMABicmlkETFVc1dxazRES2NIRHFLOE51AR6tSU_R0gdF7_AZzZmfXlxsslZMZLLfMjbFtD_1n7EnbOni12Oe7DLz1dHTvQ_aem_J3dCh8yfS3YSP1u0oxyv_w)  reported that Oahe conditions are the same as last week; some days are way better than others. The reaction-style, forward-facing sonar bite is 35-65ft and is the most consistent. Otherwise you can refer to last week’s reporting:
Some days are better than others. Finding windblown areas has been the key to fish under 20ft. Once you find a biting pod, you’ll want to get your work done as the bite window varies from 20 minutes to 5. Getting bites in the boat right now is critical to having a successful day as opportunities are fewer this early in the season. They are catching fish on a 2oz bottom bouncer with a bead and slow death, also using a half a crawler or a Berkley 4in gulp crawler. There is a deeper Jig Rap bite out past 20-60ft using forward facing sonar – it seems the best bite has been using more of a light jig cadence. Other baits being used include a Berkley Finisher or a Shiver minnow. New baits like the Berkley Rawler Jig or the Berkley PowerBait Power Vibe are some to add to the tackle box for catching Oahe walleyes.
Oahe Salmon Season Recap – Oahe Salmon Guide (https://www.oahesalmonguideservice.com/)
This 2025 has been top-notch for salmon fishing in terms of both quantity and quality fish! The bite was on fire right out of the gate in late April and May. Spoons of all different colors and patterns were working. Early June brought a more consistent FF bite, but spoons kept producing. By late June, it was pretty much all FF. The fish were very inconsistent with color of flashers, changing almost daily. Yellows, blues and whites were highly effective. Green and blue flies went all year. The bite stayed fairly steady until the first part of August. Things got pretty slow for a couple weeks. When it picked back up, green FF was the ticket. The bite stayed pretty solid the rest of the year, all FF and almost all greens in different flasher patterns. Early September brought the spoon bite back. It was a 50/50 bite the remainder of the season. The same spoons from spring continued to work in the fall, along with a few Moonshines.

For those interested to learn more about the West Whitlock Bay Salmon Spawning Station (https://gfp.sd.gov/whitlock/) , be sure to follow on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/WestWhitlock) for updates. SD Game Fish & Park typically opens the Salmon Hatchery around the first or second week of October. During this time, guests and groups are welcome to visit the station, where they will have presentations about salmon spawning on Lake Oahe.
https://sdmissouririver.com/follow-the-river/the-four-lakes-and-dams/lake-sharpe/
In the Pierre (https://pierre.org/) /Fort Pierre (https://www.visitfortpierre.com/)  areas, please refer to last week’s reporting:

Propst Professional Anglers (https://propstprofessionalanglers.com/?fbclid=IwY2xjawM1HgVleHRuA2FlbQIxMABicmlkETFVc1dxazRES2NIRHFLOE51AR6tSU_R0gdF7_AZzZmfXlxsslZMZLLfMjbFtD_1n7EnbOni12Oe7DLz1dHTvQ_aem_J3dCh8yfS3YSP1u0oxyv_w)  updated that things haven’t really changed. Last week still had a lot of hot days. Lake Sharpe is fishable if the wind isn’t blowing upstream. There isn’t a lot of current right now, so when it’s calm, the water produces. However, if the wind’s blowing upstream, it stirs it all back up. Go to the deeper channel areas to catch fish. The fish are running very small in the 14 inch range, so you have to go through quite a few fish to get your keeper 15 inches and over.

Lip Ripper Fishing (https://midwestliprippers.com/) shared on the tough bite on Lake Sharpe: The bite on Lake Sharpe (https://midwestliprippers.com/2020/02/25/lake-sharpe-profile/)  continues to be greatly impacted by the flooding event from the Bad River that took place several weeks ago, but things are beginning to clear up, and the bite is slowly recovering. The river has been cleared of debris and we are just dealing with dirty water. Above Antelope Islands seems to have clearer water, and areas where water is flowing.

The bite is slow, but persistent anglers who vary their presentation and cover water can still catch fish. Trolling crankbaits is an effective way to cover the most water, and is now possible due to lack of vegetation floating in the column. Small baits like the #5 Berkley Flicker Shad (https://midwestliprippers.com/2025/01/12/tackle-profile-berkley-flicker-shad/)  are most effective. Bottom bouncing with larger, #4, brightly colored Colorado blades are the best way to get bites in the dirty water, and can coax more neutral fish to bite.

Oahe Dam Tailrace has some fish, but the bite itself is slow. The bulk of the pressure is on the west side, with a few fish on the east side.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TVk8TIXO4eo
Lip Ripper Fishing
Tackling a Tough  Fall Bite on Lake Sharpe
https://sdmissouririver.com/follow-the-river/the-four-lakes-and-dams/lake-francis-case/
In Chamberlain (https://chamberlainsd.com/) , Allen’s Missouri River Guide Service (http://www.allenshillside.com/)  reported that fishing is starting to get a little better. Catching greater numbers of fish, but having to sort through them for keepers. Minnow bite is getting better by the day, Still using some crawlers and pulling lead core.
Swenson Bros Marine Catching BIG in Chamberlain!
Photo Curtesy of Allen’s Guide Service & Hillside Motel (https://www.facebook.com/allensmissouririverfishing)
Platte Creek Lodge & Guide Service (https://www.plattecreek.com/)  shared that fishing has been good but somewhat slow this last week. Weather needs to cooperate, and active winds have stirred up mud in the river. Catching fish jigging and using bottom bouncing around 11-14ft. Pulling crankbaits has also been been a good presentation.
Skipper Bros Guiding (https://www.skipperbrosguiding.com/)  on Lake Francis Case reported that the lake had been producing keeper-sized walleyes for a month or so. The fish are mainly being caught on crank baits pulled in water shallower than 20ft. There is a hit-and-miss jig bite on points if you’re in the right spot at the right time. Water temps are finally starting to cool down, which will kick the fall bite into full swing soon. The fish will start eating more to put on fat for the winter. Anticipating a good fall bite for walleye and bass.
SD Outfitters Unlimited (https://www.sdoutfittersunlimited.com/)  updated that the fall fishing bite around the Pease Creek area has remained strong to steady. Lots of bigger fish in the 2-5lbs range. Presentation working the best has been trolling crank baits in 42-45ft. Jigs and jig raps are producing also. On the hunting end of things, it’s looking to be an outstanding start to bird season for the area!

Wings in the Morning – Fins in the Afternoon!
Photo Curtesy of SD Outfitters Unlimited (https://www.sdoutfittersunlimited.com/)
For the Bonesteel (https://www.sdmissouririver.com/directory/category/cities-and-communities/bonesteel/)  area, Pavel’s Walleye Camp (https://www.sdmissouririver.com/directory/view/pavels-walleye-camp/)  reported the fall bite is coming on jigs and crank baits in deeper water, and some are being caught on bottom bouncer in 20ft.
In the Lake Andes (https://www.sdmissouririver.com/directory/category/cities-and-communities/lake-andes/) , Wagner (https://wagnersd.squarespace.com/fort-randall-dam) , and Pickstown (https://pickstown-sd.net/) areas, Lake Andes Inn & RV Park (https://lakeandesinn.com/)  shared, for fishing, not much has changed since last week – the weather’s still beautiful, and conditions are great for those willing to put in the effort. But the season is slowly winding down.
https://sdmissouririver.com/follow-the-river/the-four-lakes-and-dams/lewis-and-clark-lake/

In the Yankton (https://www.visityanktonsd.com/)  area the Walleye Guys (https://www.thewalleyeguys.com/)  shared that fishing has been a bit slow as the typical lake fall bite isn’t even close to starting, but hopefully things turn around soon. Most likely, it’s going to be a couple more weeks at least. None the less, some quality fish are being caught, so if you want quality over quantity, the fishing’s not too shabby. The wind just needs to back off a bit for things to pick up.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3XcspatV5SA
The Walleye Guys – Reel Talk Fishing Podcast

https://www.sdmissouririver.com/directory/category/outdoors/fishing/

Lake Oahe

·         Kemnitz MoRest Motel in Mobridge at 605-845-3668

·         Oahe Wings & Walleyes at 605-230-0280

·         Bob’s Resort in Gettysburg at 605-765-2500

·         South Whitlock Resort in Gettysburg at 605-765-9762

·         The Outpost Lodge in Pierre at 605-264-5450

·         Oahe Salmon Guide Service in Onida at 605-691-9020

Lake Oahe and Lake Sharpe

·         Lip Ripper Fishing in Pierre at 402-689-9947

·         Hutch’s Guide Service at 605-220-2844

·         South Dakota Walleye Charters at 605-366-1875

Lake Francis Case

·        Allen’s South Dakota Fishing & Hunting at 800-435-5591

·        Platte Creek Lodge at 605-941-1679

·        Missouri River Lodge & SD Outfitters Unlimited at 605-680-3877

·        Skipper Bros Guiding at 605-892-7777

·        Lake Andes Inn Motel & RV Park at 605-418-9888

Lake Lewis and Clark

·         The Walleye Guys in Yankton 402-499-4936
Please note – this report is a snapshot in time and changes can occur quickly. We suggest you call one of our members listed above – they can be very helpful with what is happening along the river. That way you’ll be assured of a great trip!

Questions about boat ramp access? Check the SD Game, Fish & Parks (https://experience.arcgis.com/experience/fa1e6cd335d8425183944b9f1a03e01e) interactive map. You’ll have to zoom in to the ramp you want to look at, and the information is regularly updated. It’s a great resource!

Help slow the spread of Aquatic Invasive Species! Check out the Game, Fish & Parks (https://gfp.sd.gov/) web site for detailed info on the regulations. They are very specific so you’ll want to be sure you’ve read the regulations. If you love to fish the Missouri River in South Dakota, please do your part to keep the reservoirs free of aquatic invasive species.

Have some great photos from your time on the water? South Dakota Missouri River Tourism would love to share them as part of our weekly Fishing Report update on our social media. Send your Mighty MO river photos to info@sdmissouririver.com and we’ll be sure to give you a shout out! Also, be sure to like us on Facebook for up to date information in the Missouri River Region.
Thanks for reading our Fishing Report!