Despite the Pierre, South Dakota area receiving 14 inches of snow on Friday, spring fishing is still going strong on Lake Sharpe! Welcome to the first fishing report of 2023! We’re very excited to kick off another fun season that will see us cover both Nebraska and of course the Missouri River reservoirs in South Dakota!
Lake Sharpe Fishing Report
Fishing on Lake Sharpe in the Pierre area is focused primarily on the community locations in town. In spring the capitol of walleye fishing at the state’s capitol is the stilling basin and this spring is no exception. Currently, the stilling basin is open to about the camping cabins at Oahe Downstream Recreation Area focusing all of the fishing near the mouth.
Dragging jigs has been the top tactic in this area. Slowly dragging or drifting jigs tipped with minnows at .4-.6 mph has been most productive. Casting and slowly retrieving jigs and minnows can also produce fish as well. The fish are quality, with many 17-19 inches.
Anglers can find a strong pitching bite as well focusing on the community sandbars in town. Marion’s Gardens is a popular location for spring walleye fishing as large pods of walleyes will congregate along this sandbar. Fishing the other sandbars along the bridges can also be productive as walleyes will be constantly moving along these sandbars sliding up shallow and out deeper throughout the day.
Look for these large pods of walleyes using side-scan sonar such as the Lowrance HDS Live. These large pods of walleyes are predominantly 13–15-inch fish, both smaller females and males as well. Focusing on these pods with jigs and minnows or jigs and plastics can produce a significant number of fish at the end of the day.
We expect to see significant numbers of 12-15 and 15–16-inch walleyes this season on Lake Sharpe and this is already showing itself this spring. Fishing this type of area, expect to have an abundance of bites and to have 4:1 or 5:1 short fish to keeper ratios.
Another powerful snowstorm is expected to impact the region again Monday night into Wednesday night. Snowfall totals between 8-23 inches are currently expected with winds exceeding 55-65 mph possible as well. The past snowfall already brought significant run-off to the area and more snow will continue to bring more run-off to the reservoir. Major storm systems always have an impact on the bite and it is worth watching for impacts to both water temperature and more importantly water clarity.
On a larger scale, the Missouri River Basin Mountain Snowpack Water Content as of March 29, 2023 is currently:
- Above Fort Peck: 114%
- Fort Peck to Garrison: 107%
Rocky Mountain snowpack has a major influence on water available to the Missouri River reservoirs, particularly Lake Oahe in South Dakota. A complete report is available through the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers.
Monitoring the weather as been a theme this winter and it appears that winter’s impacts will still continue to have a major impact on the 2023 season whether that be the spring bite or water levels of Lake Oahe throughout the summer months. Stay tuned for how the weather will impact the bite on the Missouri River in the coming days and weeks!
Featured Location: Pierre, South Dakota
Pierre, South Dakota is the capitol of South Dakota and the capitol of walleye fishing in the state. In the spring, Lake Sharpe offers some of the best walleye fishing in the region. Numerous sandbars provide a wide variety of locations for anglers to pitch jigs for walleyes with the opportunity to vertical jig fish in the stilling basin as well.
An action fishery, anglers can expect to find numerous 12-16 inch fish with plenty of opportunities for fish 17-19 inches too. Large walleyes are available in the system as well providing anglers the opportunity to catch one of their largest fish of the season.
Whether looking to pitch jigs, vertical jig, troll crankbaits, or cast crankbaits anglers are able to enjoy one of the best action fisheries in the region!
Featured Gear: JB Designs-Custom Rods
When the walleyes are just barely picking up the jig, the JB Designs-Custom Rods shine! Lightweight and ultrasensitive, these rods allow you to feel just the slightest amount of weight at the end of your line while getting a firm hookset to put more fish in the boat throughout the course of the day. Check out JB Designs-Custom Rods to take your fishing to the next level!
