A new state record has come out of Lake Oahe this fall, and it was not a record many individuals would expect! The brown trout bowfishing record was set by Ty Smith, with a 6-pound 12-ounce brown trout from the lower end of Lake Oahe.
This was the first brown trout to set the record on the bowfishing side, which is a category many anglers are unfamiliar with. Anglers are allowed to harvest game fish, including trout, May 1 to March 31 on Lake Oahe by bowfishing. Length and daily limits apply the same as anglers fishing with the traditional rod and reel.
Brown trout are not a common species in Lake Oahe, at least in South Dakota, though these fish are stocked on the North Dakota end of the lake. This type of movement is not uncommon in the expansive reservoir, and cold water species can find suitable conditions up and down the system. This would be what likely led for this fish to end up on the lower end of the lake.
While many anglers are familiar with the hook and line records, which the walleye record was shattered in Lake Oahe twice last fall, there are two other categories available. These categories are Unrestricted and Bowfishing. The Unrestricted category includes any other legal method of take beyond hook and line, such as spearing, snagging, floatline, and setline. The Bowfishing category is for fish taken by legal bow and arrow, which is the category this particular record was certified.
Anglers can find complete information regarding South Dakota state record fish on the GFP website.
