So these next few weeks’ reports are going to be a bit different. The weather has finally gotten nicer and this is a big two weeks for anglers looking to get into the sport. South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks is offering free park entrance and free fishing on Mother’s Day (this Sunday May 12) and the traditional Open House Weekend is next week, May 17-19. GFP is also offering free park entrance and free fishing on Father’s Day in June, but more to come on that later.
To celebrate the opportunity for new anglers to get into the sport, I will be highlighting some of the key points individuals looking to get into fishing should know. I will continue with the traditional fishing report as well, but information will be slightly condensed.
So we’ll start with the “regular” fishing report.
Lake Sharpe
The water is still pretty dang cold on Sharpe. Along the main stretch in Pierre, water temperatures are still in the high 30s. Generally I was finding 38-39 degrees along the upper end of the river. Areas out of the main channel are warmer, but still not exactly swimming conditions. The stilling basin was in the mid-40s and the same could be found coming out of Down’s Marina. The take home message here is the calendar says May, but we’re dealing with some still quite cool water conditions across much of the reservoir.
Fish can be caught in the stilling basin, but the bite is not what you could call hot and heavy. More like cold and lethargic. Further downstream, there are some fish being caught in areas such as West Bend, but they still aren’t exactly leaping into the boat. The water is warmer in the mid-40s, but again, not something I’d want to do a backstroke through. (I actually can’t swim…..like at all.)
Francis Case
The Platte Chamber of Commerce took place this weekend and there were some nice weights caught, but while many anglers caught their fish they weren’t exactly fish you would find fighting in the heavy weight division. There are fish to be caught though and the normal suspects of the Dock 44 and Platte Creek area are where you’d want to be looking.
Upstream in Chamberlain fishing seems to be improving and it looks like we’re setting up for those walleyes to turn the throttle up on their chomping. Fish are beginning to enter that post-spawn mode and are starting to get into their more “feeding” activities.
Oahe
The pike guys are having some fun and getting into some pretty nice fish. Those far backwaters have really warmed up and the fishing seems to be getting better and better. I should also note the new state record atlantic salmon was caught a few weeks ago. This species was stocked in November and as these fish grow the record is going to continue to be broken, so if you catch the weirdest looking walleye you’ve ever seen, well it might be an atlantic salmon!
New Anglers
I know this was pretty short on the report side, but I really want to get into the opportunities these new anglers have to hit the water. If you’re new to the sport and looking to find a local lake to hit, I highly recommend checking out the Public Fishing Access provided by GFP. To make it even easier, I’ve broken down a couple of the lakes by areas I would recommend checking out for your first trip.
Sioux Falls
Family Park Fishing Pond
Covell Fishing Pond
Island Lake
Diamond Lake
Brookings
Dakota Nature Park
Interstate Lake
Lake Poinsett (water is quite high so be aware of that)
Lake Thompson
Watertown
Lake Kampeska (lake-Pits had some winter kill)
Bramble Community Pond
Redlin Ponds
Other Eastern SD Lakes to Try
If you’re looking to get a bit more adventurous here is a few lakes I recommend a little further outside of town.
Waubay Lake (Grenville Grade)
Dry Lake #2
Lake Albert
81 Ponds
Pierre
Hipple Lake-Farm Island
“Causeway”-LaFramboise Island
Tailrace-Oahe Downstream
Mikkelson Pond
Anywhere you find rocks you can fish easily from shore
Rapid City
Memorial Pond
Roosevelt Pond
Canyon Lake
Now it at this point I would like to issue a disclaimer. I am by no means an urban fishery expert, but this is simply a starting point to help you plan your adventure. I highly recommend talking to local baitshops, tackle stores and other outdoor recreation retailers. They will have a much better feel for your individual area and provide you probably much better guidance than I ever could.
If you don’t have your own gear, that’s not a problem either. Many state parks have loaner equipment you can check out, so if you’re running into a road block there contact your local park and see if they can help you out!
While I may not be an expert in your area, a fish is a fish wherever it swims. If you have questions regarding anything as you begin your fishing adventure, please contact me. I would be more than happy to offer as much advice as I could. I had, and still continue to have, many questions when it comes to fishing. Please feel free to reach out to me over Messenger, email (nick.harrington.outdoors@gmail.com) or text me at 402-689-9947. I would be happy to help!
Product Spotlight
Whether you’re a new angler or maybe you’ve spent countless hours on the water, there is always new lakes to try. When I decide to pick a new lake to learn, one of my first steps is to see if it has a Mike’s Map. Mike has countless maps across eastern South Dakota and they’re really helpful! These lakes let me find structures from the comfort of my couch, saving me hours of time on the water. They’re also highly accurate, close only counts in horseshoes and hand grenades, you plug the GPS point in and you’re going to find yourself right where you want to be. If there’s a lake I’ve mentioned in this or previous reports you want to try, a Mike’s Map goes a long ways in helping you get yourself on fish.
Related Reading
Curious what you just caught? Check out our Fish ID page to help figure out what you found at the end of your line.
