Although we all love walleye fishing, for many anglers summer can become a tough time to fish. Of course, this is the same time as summer camping trips, family getaways and new or younger anglers are eager to hit the water. While walleye can still be caught, summer presents an excellent time to target a variety of species and keep fish biting all day long!
In South Dakota, we are fortunate to have a variety of fisheries as well as a variety of species you can target! If you’re looking to introduce angling to someone new or just take advantage of a different type of bite, we’ve got everything you need to catch as many species as possible in the heat of summer!
Walleye/Sauger
Walleye are the most popular fish among anglers across the Midwest and this is for good reason! Walleye are great eating, fun to catch and present an excellent challenge! However, walleye fishing can become tough in the heat of summer even on the best walleye fisheries!
If you’re looking to target walleyes this time of year, large reservoirs and natural lakes are often your best option! As we discuss in Life of a Reservoir Walleye, many fish slide to the lower 1/3 of these reservoirs for the heat of summer. The deeper, cooler water provides a refuge for these fish looking to escape the sun and heat.
On fisheries like the Missouri River reservoirs, bottom bouncing with large blades and crawlers is a top option. Don’t be afraid to mix in leeches as well! Trolling crankbaits along deeper water can also produce success. Find out more about targeting walleye in the mid-summer months in Cool Presentations for Hot Summer Walleye.
On natural lakes, while a portion of fish will slide out to deeper water you can still catch fish shallow all summer long. Target thick weed beds and edges as the fish will find both forage and shade in these areas. Even boat docks and other areas that provide shade can be very productive.
For presentation, now is the perfect time to try slipbobbers and a leech or crawler along the weed edges or in open pockets. Casting jigs, crankbaits or jerkbaits along these weed edges or docks can also be effective. Find out more about fishing this type of bite in Mid-Summer Walleye Tactics.
Smallmouth Bass
Both eager to bite and hard fighting, smallmouth bass present an excellent opportunity to target throughout the hot summer months. Present in many of the lakes that hold walleyes, summer is an excellent time to turn these “bonus” fish into your primary target.
In larger reservoirs, the smallmouth bass fishing can be incredible! Look for smallmouth anywhere you find rocks or sharp drop offs. Bass will frequently be tight to this type of structure as well as anywhere you can find forage. Try casting shad style crankbaits onto rocky shorelines or shallow humps. Deeper presentations like dropshot rigs or even Jigging Raps can produce fish as well.
In natural lakes, look for bass in the same types of weed beds or docks you would target walleye. Much like why walleye are there, this area will be full of bass because that is where the forage is! Similar approaches to how you target walleye will work, but don’t be afraid to take to the top of the water column as well. Topwater fishing is both exciting and an excellent way to introduce a new angler to fishing without having to worry about snagging or other hazards that lurk near the bottom.
In recent years, the smallmouth bass fishing in South Dakota has been put on the national stage! In 2018, the BassMaster Elite Series made a stop on Lake Oahe to take advantage of the tremendous smallmouth fishery. It is safe to say that although quiet, the smallmouth fishery on Lake Oahe is absolutely tremendous!
White Bass
Similar to smallmouth bass, white bass will readily strike at nearly any time and will fight the entire way in! Once you contact the first fish, there is a great chance that many more are not far away and you can set yourself up for a great day on the water!
Look for white bass on any windblown shorelines as they will often congregate in these areas. On calm days, targeting rocky shorelines, humps or even timber can produce fish. Cast aggressive baits like crankbaits, spinnerbaits or even topwater rigs like buzzbaits or your favorite pop-r style bait.
Largemouth Bass
The most popular freshwater fish, largemouth bass will readily bite all summer long. Targeting waterbodies big and small, many of our favorite dams and ponds will hold excellent populations of largemouth bass.
In many of these lakes, ponds and dams, weed growth is often abundant this time of year. You may notice that this is a trend, but these weeds are holding the bait and that means they are holding the predators as well! Target the thick weed edges with topwater frogs or other weedless style baits. Fishing the outskirts of the edges is effective with spinnerbaits, buzz baits or even shallow running crankbaits.
Many of these top bass ponds are dotted across the landscape, but often underutilized. In Small Pond Strategies, we break down everything you need to know to pick out the perfect new fishing hole. In Small Pond Strategies: Bass, we discuss how to target bass in your new favorite fishery!
Bluegill
Another popular species on nearly every type of waterbody there is, bluegill are an action packed day of fishing waiting to happen! The perfect species to introduce kids or new anglers too, bluegill are abundant in numerous fisheries across the country and ready to bite too!
Bluegill will often seek cover in thick weeds, timber and also docks and other structures. These areas will hold fish all summer long and are available to both anglers fishing from shore, a boat or even a kayak.
Simple is successful when it comes to bluegill fishing. A slipbobber and crawler or leech will often result in great success. Lindy rigs and crappie rigs are also excellent options. Another fun way to target these fish is using small crankbaits, which can generate aggressive strikes from larger fish. We have everything you need to know to stay on bluegill all season long in Guide to Catching Bluegill Year Round.
Northern Pike
Often prowling weed edges in search of their next meal, the angry northern pike will often viciously strike at anything that looks vulnerable nearby. Expect a fair amount of northern pike to still be cruising weed edges, particularly deep weed edges as the summer goes on. I may sound like a broken record, but these predators are here because this is where the prey are!
You cannot go too aggressive for pike as large spinnerbaits, bucktails and topwater baits can all produce fish. Large jerkbaits, swimbaits and spoons can all produce fish as well.
Yellow Perch
Catching perch is not just a winter time activity! Anglers can experience a strong summer perch bite in a variety of areas. Deep mudlines and gravel areas can hold fish in the summer as they feast on bugs coming out of the mud. Fishing along thick weed stalks can also result in perch that are patrolling the weed edges.
Presentation is simple, with jigs and minnows or crawlers a top option for vertical jigging out deep. Maintain strong bottom contact as fish are often rooting around in the mud searching for their next meal. Weed line perch are best targeted with slipbobbers and crawlers or leech above or beside the thick weeds.
Black Crappie
Crappie are another species that can be targeted in a variety of areas. While many anglers associate a strong basin, crappie bite fish can often be found shallow as well. Once again, shallow weeds and timber can hold crappie all summer long.
Look for crappie with slipbobbers both shallow and deep. In the weeds and timber, slipbobbers allow you to keep your bait above the vegetation and where it will be both seen by fish and presented effectively. Slipbobbers are also excellent out deep as it allows novice anglers the ability to keep their bait at the appropriate depth for suspended fish.
Channel Catfish
In the summer, many of the “monster” walleyes we are hooked up with often magically turn into catfish once they get to the boat! This makes this the perfect time to target these catfish. As summer rolls on, the catfish bite gets better and better on many lakes and rivers.
Catfish have an excellent sense of smell and this means “stinky” baits are the key. Nightcrawlers are always a good go-to, but many other baits can produce as well. While commercial grade stinkbait is popular among many catfish anglers, my personal favorite bait is cooked shrimp. For targeting larger fish: bluegill, bullhead and even frogs (where legal) make excellent baits.
Chinook Salmon
I preface this with a very strong disclaimer: I am not a salmon angler. I don’t have the equipment, patience or skill to successfully pursue these fish! That being said, we are fortunate to have an excellent opportunity here in South Dakota on Lake Oahe and that is a strong salmon fishery!
In the heat of summer, it is not uncommon to see dozens upon dozens of boats trolling the face of the dam searching for the intense bite and fight of salmon. If this is something you have always wanted to do, fishing on Lake Oahe out of Pierre is one of your best options!
Freshwater Drum
Whether you call them drum, sheephead, barn doors or anything else we have all probably caught plenty of drum while walleye fishing. This is because in many situations-where there are drum you will find walleye as well! Another frequent offender of being “trophy walleyes”, drum put up a hard fight and will give new or young anglers plenty to get excited about!
Similar presentations that you use to target walleye will often produce drum, this makes fishing for both of these species quite easy on a hot summer day. Live bait presentations presented on bottom will often bring a healthy mix of walleye, drum and catfish into your bag!
Goldeye
Have you ever caught a fish and wondered what the heck it is!? There is a very good chance this was a goldeye. Found in rivers and reservoirs, goldeye are a catfish angler’s dream! Known for their excellent cutbait, goldeye can be caught with the same live bait presentations that many anglers use for fishing for walleye and a variety of other species.
Common Carp/Flying Fishing Opportunities
A favorite among fly anglers, summer is often the perfect time to catch common carp! Once again, I feel obligated to preface this with I am not a fly angler. Fly fishing takes a patience and delicate touch that I unfortunately do not embody. That being said, one of the most underutilized fisheries in South Dakota is the fly fishing bite that can unfold.
Fly fishing does not just catch carp either. Experienced fly anglers are often able to catch smallmouth bass, northern pike, white bass a variety of panfish and even walleye! Whether you are fishing the Missouri River reservoirs or the Glacial Lakes region, there is likely a fly fishing bite available for you!
Multispecies Madness on Lake Francis Case
In July 2018, I challenged myself to catch as many species as possible in 8 hours of fishing on Lake Francis Case. While I wasn’t able to catch as many species as I wished (darn those pesky goldeye!), this was an excellent opportunity to highlight the numerous fishing opportunities we have on the Missouri River reservoirs.
It may be hot, it may be sticky, but there is still plenty of fun that can be had out on the water this summer! I encourage you to bring someone new, try something new and enjoy the excellent multispecies bite we have here in South Dakota! Good fishing!
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