Well to put it nicely we basically hit the reset button on fishing this week. Central South Dakota received roughly 15-20 inches of snow from Wednesday-Friday, totals vary but the main takeaway is we got hammered and it threw a major curveball at the fishing.
Now looking ahead we have some tremendous fishing opportunities presenting themselves for this long, holiday weekend. The weather looks spectacular, rain is expected mid-week, how much we get could present a different challenge, but this weekend looks fantastic to get out and enjoy a day or two on the water!
In two minute or less, I want to detail the fishing opportunities we are going to have this weekend based on area.
Lake Oahe
Yep you read that right, you can get a boat in on the lake! West Shore is launchable and if you have big pike fever there is going to be some tremendous shore and boat angling opportunities for anglers looking to hit the lake.
Lake Sharpe
More launches are beginning to open up on Sharpe. Downs Marina is now open, as of this weekend the docks were not in, but my guess is this weekend you’ll be able to launch at Downs. Shore angling opportunities are also now present in this area as well.
The road to the Polo Grounds launch at Farm Island had been closed in previous reports, but that is not the case any longer. There is considerable snow still on this road around the parking lot and blocking the launch, but there were some tire tracks and I do believe this weekend the snow will be greatly if not completely eliminated.
For shore anglers looking to get out this weekend the fishing areas off of Hipple Lake are open and fishable. Snow and ice is gone and these present a fantastic opportunity to get out on the water with family and friends.
For boat anglers looking to get out of the Farm Island launch into Hipple Lake, well that’s not quite as ready yet.
LaFramboise Island and Oahe Downstream also are offering some shore fishing opportunities as well as in the tailrace below Oahe Dam.
Further downstream Fort George, De Grey and West Bend are all good to fish as well.
Lake Francis Case
No secret here, Case is going to be the capitol of walleye fishing in the Midwest yet again this weekend.
Mason Propst and I will be doing our part to celebrate, the 21st Annual Lake Francis Case Walleye Tournament will be taking place out of American Creek Marina on Saturday. I highly recommend factoring this into your decisions on when/where to launch on Saturday.
Boats are going to be going all over the lake. I am sure many will be staying in town and pitching the rocks or vert jigging the bays. Other boats will head up river to fish Crow, Kiowa or even the tailrace. I also imagine some boats will go down river to fish White River or Carpenter Bluffs.
Futher downstream Platte Creek should receive some attention as well. Good luck to all anglers heading out, I imagine there will be many areas and many presentations that produce fish!
Eastern South Dakota
Shore fishing opportunities are increasing by the hour, but water levels are as well.
Many if not all lakes and sloughs south of Highway 212 are open and shore and wader fishing is and will continue to be taking place. Favorites such as Poinsett and Thompson are surely going to receive a lot of pressure from anglers looking to fill some stringers.
Anglers do need to be aware the high water is presenting difficulties. Poinsett is so high the Sarranen Public Water Access is closed due to flooding over the road. This is the launch on the northwest side of the lake.
The launch on Lake Whitewood has also closed, although I know many anglers are concerned about winterkill on this lake so this was probably not going to receive a fantastic amount of pressure. That being said, fishing lakes such as Whitewood or Oakwood while others may not isn’t necessarily the worst decision one could make.
Lake Sinai and Lake Campbell also have some closures on them as well. These are certainly worth being aware of when making plans to hit the water.
The moral of the story here is whether you’re wader fishing over east or taking the boat out on one of the Missouri River reservoirs the fishing should be good, weather looks perfect and I hope you all have a fun time fishing with friends and family!
Good fishing,
Nick
