The open water season is officially here in South Dakota. Boat docks have been placed along the entire state, including the Missouri River reservoirs and Glacial Lakes region, and ample open water opportunities are available for boat and shore anglers alike.
Winter wasn’t going down without a fight though, and a strong rain and snow system hit across the state this past weekend. This will bring a significant change to the run-off and water conditions, particularly on the Missouri River reservoirs. Additionally, there are likely more precipitation and cool temperatures on the way this week.
We discuss all of these changes, and officially kick off the open water season, in this week’s fishing report!
Boat Dock and Ramp Status Update
It has been an extremely busy couple weeks across South Dakota, with many boat docks being placed this week. A couple noteworthy docks that were placed include:
- Indian Creek Recreation Area (Lake Oahe)
- Walth Bay (Lake Oahe)
- Bob’s Resort (Lake Oahe)
- Spring Creek Recreation Area (Lake Oahe)
- Cow Creek Recreation Area (Lake Oahe)
- Lighthouse Point (Lake Oahe)
- East Shore (Lake Oahe)
- Downs Marina (Lake Sharpe)
- West Bend Recreation Area (Lake Sharpe)
- Cedar Shore Resort (Lake Francis Case)
- Lake Poinsett Recreation Area (Lake Poinsett)
- Lake Thompson Recreation Area (Lake Thompson)
This is not a comprehensive list, and a complete update on dock status can be found on the South Dakota Public Water Access Map!
Lake Francis Case Takes the Spotlight
It is officially time for Lake Francis Case to take the spotlight, and the 24th Annual Cedar Shore Resort Tournament will be April 12-13. This is the first major event of the South Dakota tournament season, and the winner is set to take home $13,000.
The early season fishing on Lake Francis Case has been fantastic thus far this year, and it is setting up to be a terrific April and May out of both the Chamberlain and Platte areas. Anglers should expect good numbers of quality fish, both in the 15-17 inch range as well as up towards 18-22 inches.
We take a deep depth into the keys on fishing on Lake Francis Case in the spring, which includes discussing the impact current has on the reservoir, top techniques, and key locations to target based on these factors. We’ll be heading to Chamberlain these next two weeks, and these are the factors we’ll consider in this year’s Cedar Shore Resort Tournament!
Midwest Walleye Challenge Begins April 1
The Cedar Shore Resort Tournament won’t be the only event on our mind this time of year, as the Midwest Walleye Challenge begins for South Dakota on April 1. This is a citizen science event that allows anglers to share information on their walleye fishing with GFP fisheries biologists and earn prizes along the way! If you have not already, now is the time to get signed up and ready to participate in this first ever event for our state!
Spring Trout Stockings Underway
South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks (GFP) fisheries biologists have been busy stocking rainbow trout in many local fisheries. A number of urban fisheries have been stocked with rainbow trout, which include:
- Flynn (Milbank City Pond)
- Hunters Quarry (Grant County)
- 3rd Ave Pond/Lions (Watertown)
- Redlin South Pond (Watertown)
- Elsie Pond (Gary)
- Wylie Pond (Aberdeen)
- Family Park (Sioux Falls)
- Lake Ole (Harrisburg)
- Tea South Community Fishing Pond (Lincoln)
A complete list of stockings can be found on the 14 Day Stocking Report tab of the GFP website!
The Road Ahead
The start of April we mark the start of our official season, with both the Midwest Walleye Challenge and the Cedar Shore Resort Tournament taking the bulk of the focus. Stay up to date on Nick’s success in both, and see behind the scenes content, by following Nick on Instagram, mrwalleyesd.
We’ll also have next week’s fishing report from Lake Francis Case in Chamberlain, which will double as our outlook for the Cedar Shore Resort Tournament and then wrap it all up after the event. The next two weeks are dedicated to Chamberlain, and we’re hoping to head back to Pierre with a strong start to the Midwest Walleye Challenge and some hardware!
Stay up to date on our fishing reports, articles, tips, and more by following along on the Lip Ripper Fishing Facebook page as well. The season is here, and we’re super excited to share it with you!
