It is the greatest time of year here in South Dakota! The fields have turned orange, the fall fishing bite is hitting on all cylinders, and most importantly, the bugs are gone! Falls is indeed here, the bite is picking up on both Lake Sharpe and Lake Oahe, and the reports from the pheasant hunters are fantastic!
Lake Sharpe Fishing Report
First and foremost, the bite on Lake Sharpe is finally entering fall form! There are multiple bites that are taking place along the reservoir and whether you like pitching jigs, trolling crankbaits, or bottom bouncing there is a bite for you!
The most consistent bite has been Hipple Lake within Farm Island Recreation Area. In here, trolling #5 Berkley Flicker Shads in Purple Tiger and Firetail Chrome Candy have been the top option. The fish are very well fed, with abundant gizzard shad and juvenile white bass limiting the bite windows, but when the fish do bite, they are very quality with many between 16-19 inches!
The emerging bite is just outside of Farm Island, with many traditional jigging holes adjacent to the flats and sandbars producing fish. This is more of a numbers game, with many 14-15 inch fish, but there are some better quality fish to be caught as well! Jigs and minnows are the top option, with the bulk of the fish found between 4-8 feet.
While some fish can be caught bottom bouncing along these flats as well, the highest percentage bottom bouncing bite is down at West Bend Recreation Area. These fish are transitioning their way up the reservoir, but there is still a strong number of fish in the area, and it is less impacted by the dirty water and reduced flows.
The casting bite on the Oahe Dam Tailrace in the evening is best from the west side, particularly the closer you get to the powerhouse. The East Side is not receiving as much flow, and the bulk of the current is going through the West Side and the lower water levels has the area between the handicap dock and the powerhouse the best area.
Other Bites Across the State
It’s just about trophy walleye time on Lake Oahe, and the big ones are beginning to emerge! Trolling crankbaits is one of the most effective ways to target the trophy walleye this time of year, with the bulk of the fishing taking place between West Whitlock Recreation Area in Gettysburg and Swan Creek Recreation Area in Akaska.
The shore fishing is also beginning to heat up in eastern South Dakota, with some nice walleye emerging from the Glacial Lakes region! Targeting rocky shorelines, road grades, and culverts are the highest percentage areas. Casting shallow running crankbaits or jigs and plastics is an effective way to target these fish and produce big bites too!
South Dakota Pheasant Season Off to a Hot Start
The South Dakota Pheasant Season kicked off this Saturday, October 18, and the early reports from the field are fantastic! Hunters are reporting abundant bird numbers and success has been high! Take a deep dive into what to expect this season in our Opener Outlook: Scouting the 2025 South Dakota Pheasant Season.
Dive Deep into the Latest Bites
The schedule is looking packed for the next couple weeks, and it’s going to be a bit before we can provide another fishing report! In the meantime, we’ve broken down some of the best bites we’re tracking on Lake Sharpe. Check out these videos and learn about how we pattern these Lake Sharpe fish in the fall!
