One of the most unique angling opportunities in South Dakota are the Gavins Point Dam Paddlefish seasons. There are two separate seasons available for anglers, Snagging and Archery, in the tailwaters below the Gavins Point Dam. South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks (GFP) fisheries biologists gave an update on these seasons at a virtual public meeting February 17, 2026.
The Snagging Season runs through the month of October. In 1997, this season was changed from a quota season to a lottery season, and both Nebraska and South Dakota were given 1,600 licenses each. Of South Dakota’s 1,600 licenses, 50 are available for nonresidents.
GFP fisheries biologists monitor this season by assessing angler hours, paddlefish caught per hour, and ultimately how many paddlefish are harvested each season.
Throughout the snagging season, normal angling hours are between 10,000-20,000 hours per season. In 2025, angler hours were on the higher end of this average with about 19,000 hours spent fishing.
Paddlefish caught per hour experienced a return closer to the average seen in 1997-2003. During this time, paddlefish per hour was a little below .4 fish per hour.
Beginning in 2004 and lasting through 2009, paddlefish per hour jumped drastically to between 1.0-1.8 fish per hour. This was due to a large number of fish that migrated in the Gavins Point Dam tailwaters area, and have since tapered out, bringing the last handful of years back towards what could be expected historical paddlefish per hour.
The 2025 season continued this trend, with .18 paddlefish per hour. In total, 3,000 paddlefish were released and 321 paddlefish were harvested.
Gavins Point Dam Snagging season has a protected slot, 35-45 inches, which is measured from the eye to the natural fork of the tail. Any paddlefish caught in this slot must be released. Of the 321 paddlefish harvested, 29 were above the 45 inch mark, and the rest were below the protected slot.
In addition to the Gavins Point Dam Snagging season, the Gavins Point Dam Archery season runs through the month of June.
Prior to 2016, this season was held July 15-August 15. During this timeframe, archers experienced about 25% success rates and targeted the tailwaters of Gavins Point Dam about 45% of the time.
To increase success rates, in 2016 the season was moved to the month of June, which it currently is today. Since this time, archer success rate has increased to 60%, and archers targeting the tailwaters of Gavins Point Dam has increased to about 60% of the time as well.
Nebraska and South Dakota are both allotted 275 licenses for this season. In 2025, 138 fish were harvested. Anglers spent approximately 2,800 hours targeting these paddlefish. It is also important to note that archers do not have a protected slot that is in place during the snagging season, and 60% of the paddlefish harvested were above 35 inches.
Similar to other species, fisheries biologists evaluate paddlefish condition with a relative weight, Wr, that is calculated by the fish’s weight and length. This is determined from both sampled fish and angler harvested fish. Paddlefish target Wr is between 60-70, and paddlefish condition in 2025 was right around that 60 mark.
The paddlefish season is a unique opportunity for anglers to target a fish that is very important to the history of the Missouri River. Paddlefish grow to large sizes, provide a unique way to target them, and are excellent for eating. Applications for both the Gavins Point Dam Archery and Gavins Point Dam Snagging seasons are made available through Go Outdoors South Dakota, and anglers will find out via email if their application is successful.
