After a tough year of fishing on the Lake Oahe reservoir, the South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks (GFP) provided an update on the status of the Lake Oahe fishery.
Anglers enjoyed an incredible bite for trophy walleyes, but struggled greatly to find “slot” fish, or fish that are 15-19 inches. Fishing was particularly tough in the area between Akaska, Mobridge, and Pollock, an area that is known for consistent recruitment and good numbers of fish. This prompted GFP to hold a meeting in the Mobridge area in October where anglers were able to receive a status report of the fishery.
The complete meeting can be found in the below recording and a copy of the presentation can be found on the GFP website.
GFP Area Fisheries Supervisor for the upper Missouri River, Mark Fincel, provided a detailed update on the characteristics and history of the Lake Oahe fishery. Mark detailed how the upper end of Oahe traditionally has a great deal of fish, smaller size structure, and good recruitment. By contrast, the lower end of Oahe has a low abundance of fish and poor recruitment, but a good overall size structure.
Lake Oahe had previously been experiencing strong walleye growth when gizzard shad were abundant and rainbow smelt were recovering in the mid-2000s until the prey base collapsed in 2011 that essentially left fish in the reservoir starving to death. Walleye abundance, growth, and condition dropped and GFP combatted this by stocking fish.
Across 2017-2022, GFP stocked walleye fry or small fingerlings at 17 different locations across Lake Oahe. GFP also stocked adult gizzard shad from 2012-2015 and again in 2021 and 2022 at 10 different locations. The stocking of adult gizzard shad is important because shad are incredible reproducers and can spawn multiple times across a summer. It takes a relatively small number of adult shad to produce a large crop of young of the year baitfish to sustain a forage population.
Unfortunately, one of the draw backs is that there is very little over winter survival as the cold water temperatures can cause shad to die. This is why continuing to stock adults is an important component of maintaining a shad forage base in cold water conditions.
Currently, walleye abundance is gradually declining on the upper end of Lake Oahe, while abundance on the lower end of the reservoir is improving. Importantly, the walleye condition is also stable in both the upper and lower end of the reservoir, meaning fish are fed and growth rates are improving.
In response to the current status of Lake Oahe, GFP’s plan moving forward is to stock more fish into the reservoir. 400,000 walleye fingerlings will be stocked at seven different locations for a total of 2.8 million walleye fingerlings in the reservoir for 2023. These seven stocking locations will be between Sutton Bay and West Pollock, essentially at all major access points along the upper end of Lake Oahe in the state of South Dakota.
In addition to walleye, GFP will be stocking 300 adult gizzard shad at four locations for a total of 12,000 adult gizzard shad in the reservoir for 2023. These stockings will take place at West Pollock, Indian Creek, Swan Creek, and East Whitlock. These gizzard shad will come from internal stockings within the department.
On top of that, GFP will also be stocking 750 adult gizzard shad at six locations for a total of 4,500 additional adult gizzard shad in the reservoir for 2023. This is three times the number of gizzard shad that have been stocked in previous years thanks to a partnership with the state of Kansas. These stocking locations will again be between Sutton Bay and West Pollock at most major access points.
Overall, the stocking of the walleyes should jump start recruitment in the upper end of the reservoir increasing abundance, while the presence of gizzard shad can enhance walleye growth rates. Walleye fisheries such as Lake Francis Case and Lewis and Clark Lake experience excellent growth rates due to the gizzard shad forage base.
While 2022 was a difficult year for many anglers on Lake Oahe, GFP’s management efforts point to a brighter future for the reservoir. Water levels will be a major storyline for the 2023 season as they have been for 2021 and 2022. Significant snowfall in the Rocky Mountains and across the watershed will be important for bringing water levels back up in the reservoir.
Regardless the cards Mother Nature plays, GFP’s management efforts are setting Oahe up for a brighter future and anglers should look forward to more good days of fishing on the reservoir.
GFP Podcast and Blast
Lake Oahe was also a feature of the GFP Podcast and Blast prior to the 2022 season. Learn more about this reservoir and how you can find more success as an angler by understanding the characteristics of the waterbody!
