BREAKING NEWS: It didn’t blow 30 mph every day this week!! Favorable conditions for anglers resulted in a lot of folks having fun out on the water this week and there was good fishing to be had for many of them. There are still a variety of bites taking place this week, let’s talk about them and what’s in store this weekend up in Mobridge!
Lake Oahe
The best bite in the Pierre area has certainly transitioned up to Lake Oahe. Fishing has been good on a wide variety of areas for anglers that are looking to make some runs or stay closer to the launch.
Many anglers looking to make a run have been fishing Snake Creek and Deep Creek. Active fish can be found on long points with whatever wind is blowing onto them. Look in depths between 8-12 feet, with some anglers venturing as shallow as 3-6 feet.
Pulling .8″ Mack’s Lure Smile Blades with nightcrawlers has produced the best. Pink has far and away been the best color. Leeches are also catching fish, but nightcrawlers continue to be the bait of choice. Other colors to try include silver, blue, chartreuse and purple.
The smallmouth bass are also present along these same points. The best bass fishing has been in roughly 5-9 feet of water and they are often being caught on the same presentations for walleye. Targeting these fish with shallow running crankbaits has been another option as the water is slightly dirtier making flash and vibration more critical.
Okobojo Creek continues to hold a good number of fish, but many in the 12-14 inch category. The lack of wind (first time we’ve had this problem in weeks) has made the bite tougher, so look for fish holding slightly deeper. Where fish may have been biting in 12-15 feet of water, try sliding out to 17-20 feet. Nightcrawlers with .8″ Mack’s Lure Smile Blades have been the best producers. Pink continues to be the best color, but silver, blue and chartreuse have caught fish as well.
The smallmouth bass have slid up shallow and many are holding in 3-8 feet of water, with some slightly deeper in 8-12 feet. They’ve been a bonus fish for anglers pulling bottom bouncers shallow, but can be targeted with jig/plastic combinations or spinnerbaits on cloudy days. The water is very clear and you can often see them moving around up shallow.
Anglers looking to stay close can also find a decent smallmouth bite with walleye and perch mixed in as well in Spring Creek. Fishing along rocky points with bottom bouncers have produced best. Fishing the side with the most wind has been the most effective.
Other good reports continue to come out of Bush’s Landing and also up in Minneconjou as well.
Lake Sharpe
The bite on Lake Sharpe has really transitioned down to the lower end, but there are still a few areas you can catch fish in the Pierre area. The Oahe Dam tailrace has been the best option, with quality fish continuing to be caught. Be very careful as large, powerful eddys have made boat control difficult.
The stilling basin also is still holding fish, although the bulk of the fish are below the 15 inch mark. The best bite has been bottom bouncing nightcrawlers in 17-25 feet of water. The stilling basin has presented an excellent opportunity to test out various snells.
Fishing along the bluffs in town has paid few dividends to anglers. Moss and other debris have made fishing, particularly pulling crankbaits, very difficult. Weed growth along LaFramboise Island as well as the abundance of recreational boaters has made fishing this stretch difficult to impossible as well.
Fortunately, anglers looking to fish the West Bend area have been having excellent success! West Bend once again continues to do exactly what West Bend does and that’s put out a great number of fish. There are still quality fish to be caught, with plenty of fish to fill a limit.
Lake Francis Case
Many areas along Lake Francis Case have had a variety of storms hit the past week. Notably, the Chamberlain area was recently hit by a strong hail storm. The ever-changing weather conditions have made fishing difficult for many anglers fishing down on Lake Francis Case this past week.
Similar to the other reservoirs, fishing on Francis Case this time of year is often from Platte to Pickstown. Platte Creek and Snake Creek have been popular in previous reports and expect those areas to still produce decent fishing. Further downstream, the Pickstown area will often heat up as the summer goes along.
News and Notes
We have some exciting news for this week! The Masters Walleye Circuit (MWC) will be returning to Mobridge this week. This two day tournament will take place Friday-Saturday, June 26-27 out of Indian Creek Recreation Area. The weigh-ins will take place at the Mobridge Sitting Bull Stampede (Rodeo Grounds) beginning at 3:30 p.m. both Friday and Saturday.
Anglers can expect to find a strong numbers bite in the Mobridge area, but like many tournaments on the Missouri River in South Dakota it is going to come down to who can catch the best “overs”, or fish longer than 20 inches. Expect some large fish to come in, it is fair to say that every angler that launches will have a chance at a 10 pound walleye both days.
If you’re looking for something to do, don’t be afraid to go check out the weigh-ins and what the Mobridge area has to offer. Mobridge is one of the top fishing destinations in the area and the town certainly does well to take care of their anglers and hunters that look to enjoy the excellent outdoor opportunities in the area.
Registration is still open until noon on Tuesday if you are looking to test your skills against some of the best walleye anglers in the country!
I still have openings throughout the summer. If you are looking to get in on some of the excellent fishing up on Oahe this summer or the strong fall bite in the Pierre area please feel free to reach out and we can get you on the calendar!
Book a Trip on the Missouri River
I hope you all have a great week and are able to get out and have some fun on the water! To all anglers fishing the MWC in Mobridge I wish you the best of luck and stay safe! Good fishing!
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