The National Walleye Tour (NWT) is set to visit Lake Oahe fishing out of Mobridge, South Dakota May 20-21, 2026.
“The stage is set to see some really big fish come across the scales,” said Nick Harrington, Owner of Lip Ripper Fishing. “Lake Oahe is a trophy walleye factory, and early summer in the Mobridge area is one of the best places to target this caliber of fish.”
Lake Oahe will serve as the second stop of the 2026 NWT season, which features four qualifying events and a championship.
“Anglers should expect to find fish in post-spawn condition, and the bite should just be picking up following the spawning activities,” continued Harrington. “This time of year livescoping, trolling crankbaits, and bottom bouncing can all be very effective.”
The variety of techniques, as well as locations, should set the stage for a variety of strategies to take place across the reservoir.
“There’s big fish to be caught in the Mobridge area, as well as the Grand River, but there’s also going to be anglers that run to the Akaska and Gettysburg area too,” elaborated Harrington. “There’s big fish throughout this entire stretch, and the key is to find a bite that suits each angler’s style and they ultimately have confidence in.”
Anglers in South Dakota are allowed to keep one walleye over 20 inches, or “overs” per day, which means a combination of both these “over” and “slot” fish is critical.
“Finding the big overs is key, but so is putting a consistent bite together if you’re going to put together a winning bag over two days,” concluded Harrington. “It’s going to be a fun event to see play out, and we can expect some big bags over both days!”
The complete 2026 National Walleye Tour schedule, as well as other major tournaments across South Dakota, can be found on the Fishing Tournament News page.
